Eternal Snow
by Seraph of Divinity
Summary: They were childhood friends who had to part ways. However, they promised to meet again someday, and when they did, their fates intertwined. Some things were just meant to be. Fubuki x OC.
1. The Fulfilled Promise

_**Author's Note: **__I decided to try writing Inazuma Eleven fanfiction after I finished watching the anime. Fubuki Shirou is undoubtedly my favorite character in the series! c: This will be a love story between an OC and Fubuki. Also, I would like for readers to know beforehand that the story takes place after the Football Frontier International, around the start of the new school year (in April), even though they're still in junior high school. I decided to switch their grades and ages around a bit since I didn't want the story to take place in high school. Enjoy reading and please review when you're done!_

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Inazuma Eleven. Only the OC, Azumi, that I have introduced into this fanfiction belongs to me._

* * *

_They were close childhood friends. Her extremely wealthy parents had died in an accident like his had, leaving behind a butler to take care of her and a mass fortune. She was the one who helped him get over the sorrow of the deaths of his own family members, and he always admired how strong-willed she was. That unwavering strength and undying smile... he found them beautiful. Five years after they became friends, when they were both ten, he saw her cry for the first time._ _She told him that she would be going overseas to carry on the work her parents had left behind. But that was not why she was crying. She was crying because they would not see each other for a long time. The next day, she left, but not before making a promise with him:_

_"Let's meet again someday."_

* * *

The teacher hadn't arrived yet, but no one cared to say anything about it. The students chattered among themselves, all except for Fubuki, who sat quietly reminiscing in his seat by the window. _It's nice to be at Raimon with everyone else... I want to go practice with the others already._ He had transferred to Raimon Junior High like Tsunami and the others after the Football Frontier International, wanting to stay with all his new friends. It had only been a few days since he had transferred, but it already felt like he'd been there his entire life. Smiling to himself, Fubuki turned to join in on a classmate's conversation when the door was suddenly thrown open, causing him to jump a little in surprise. Chatter ceased as all eyes turned to the male student that stood slightly panting in the doorway.

"Guys, guys, I overheard the teachers talking about a transfer student! What's more, the transfer student is going to be joining _our _class!" he announced. A murmuring of surprise rippled through the room, everyone suddenly asking questions and calling out comments.

"Is the transfer student a guy or a girl?"

"I hope it's a girl! There are too many guys in this class."

"No way, I'm betting it's a guy."

"Well, you won't know until you take your seats," a deep male voice interrupted. It was the teacher, Mr. Katsunari, who stood behind the student in the doorway. With sheepish faces, everyone returned to their seats. Fubuki patiently waited like his classmates for the teacher to introduce the transfer student. The only open seat in the classroom was right next to his, so the transfer student would obviously be sitting there. _I wonder what they're like..._

"All right, seeing as how we've all settled down, I'll go ahead and confirm what Taichi was telling everyone. Yes, we do have a transfer student joining us today," Mr. Katsunari nodded. He turned towards the closed classroom door with a smile on his face. "Well then, please come in and introduce yourself." A few of the students leaned forward with eager looks on their faces at the sound of approaching footsteps. Fubuki himself couldn't help but feel a little surge of excitement. The footsteps came to a halt, the door slid open, and in came the transfer student. Almost immediately there were shocked gasps from nearly every student in the room. Fubuki's eyes widened in surprise. His heart skipped a beat as he stared at the transfer student. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Was it really her? It just couldn't be that same girl... The girl he had grown up being close childhood friends with. Not after all these years. He had never given up hoping that he would see her again, but it was simply too good to be true. Those shining purple-gray eyes, that kind yet shy smile, and the flawless skin framed by silky, dark raspberry red hair. It was her. It was truly her. Fubuki opened his mouth.

"Azumi?"

* * *

She hadn't expected much, really. Everything happened exactly like the time she had transferred to a school abroad. The stares she received, the hushed whispers behind her back... she didn't care for any of it. She did care, however, about the fact that Raimon Junior High was a school with a large student population. Azumi was starting to regret that she had chosen to transfer to this school of all places. There were twice as many students here than at her previous school, and being around so many people made her uncomfortable like usual. _No, I can't get scared now... I can get through this. This is a school with a good reputation, so I can't judge it based on the student body alone. _Swallowing her nervousness down, Azumi continued to walk through the school hallways until she found the classroom she would be in for the rest of the year. Two girls passed by on their way to their own classroom, looking curiously at Azumi as they did so.

"Who is that? I've never seen her around before," the girl on the left whispered to her friend.

"Me either, but she's really pretty! She looks like she could be a model or something..." her friend whispered back.

"I think she's a transfer student, but she's not wearing the school uniform like she's supposed to... maybe she's some famous person who has connections to the school," the girl who had first spoken said. They were soon out of earshot, and Azumi had to take in a deep breath to calm herself as she stood outside classroom 3-A's door.

She was wearing a dress like she normally did. After all, her background would not have it any other way, not that she minded. Her current dress was white with a lacy hem and pale gray ribbon around the waist. The shoes she wore were gray heels with ankle straps and she had left her long hair down like she normally did, letting it reach its full length, which was an inch or two above her waist. Everything about her screamed beauty and wealth, but Azumi hoped that her new classmates would accept her for who she was. She only had to stand outside for a few more seconds before she heard the teacher call her in for a standard introduction to the class. _This is it. I can do this. He would tell me the same thing too... _She instantly felt at ease just thinking about what her childhood friend would say to her in the situation she was in. Feeling calmer than before, she steeled herself for what lay ahead and smiled before opening the door and walking in.

Her eyes took in the new surroundings with much interest, but they never lingered too long on any one person or object. Azumi reached the teacher's desk and turned to face the class just as her gaze settled on a handsome, gray-haired boy sitting by the window. He returned her stare with his own and his eyes widened at the same time hers did. Azumi found herself unable to tear her gaze away from the boy's bluish-gray eyes. Her heart rate sped up at the sight of the familiar face.

"Azumi?" the boy hesitated. Her heart did a somersault after hearing the boy's voice. It really was him...

"It's me," Azumi's smile widened. "It's nice to see you again, Fubuki."


	2. The Raimon Soccer Club

_**Author's Note: **__Thank you to everyone who has reviewed the story so far! Seeing reviews always gives me the motivation to keep writing for you guys. I hope you'll enjoy reading chapter two of Eternal Snow. Please review when you're done!_

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Inazuma Eleven. Only the OC, Azumi, that I have introduced into this fanfiction belongs to me._

* * *

_"Do you know how to play soccer?" he asked her. She nodded, but looked a little uncomfortable._

_"Are you sure you don't want to play anything else?" she inquired for the third time, fidgeting a little as she asked him._

_"Yes! Soccer is really fun, so I want to play it with you," he nodded his head vigorously. "Why do you not want to play?"_

_"Well, um, I was wondering... if I win, will you be sad?" she quietly asked. He shook his head._

_"Of course not!" he told her. "Losing is just as good as winning. That's my opinion at least. Atsuya only ever wants to win. Besides, you don't know who will win until you actually play."_

_"Oh..." she trailed off. She seemed to be thinking hard about something, so he let her be for awhile. Finally, she hesitated before nodding._

_"I guess... I could play soccer with you then," she decided. He smiled widely.  
_

_"Great! I'll start the game," he said and set the soccer ball down. "Ready?" She nodded, and he moved to kick the ball._

* * *

Her nervousness had completely disappeared with the knowledge that Fubuki was in the same class as her, more so with the fact that her seat was right next to his. She always felt much more confident when she was with him. But when Fubuki wasn't around to help her, Azumi became unsocial and nervous around large groups of people. In the past, she had hated herself for relying on her friend too much, and after parting ways with him, she had done her best to grow stronger alone. She couldn't always depend on Fubuki, now could she?

Morning classes soon ended, and before the rest of the class could surround the two childhood friends and bombard them with questions, they stood up and quickly exited the room to eat lunch together elsewhere. Walking side by side through the hallways and attracting stares along the way, Azumi and Fubuki made their way to the roof. Both were itching to ask the other questions and catch up on the years they had been apart. Finally, Fubuki couldn't stay silent any longer.

"I thought you went overseas. Why did you come back?" he asked as they climbed another flight of stairs to the roof.

"Well, you already know I went overseas to take on the work my parents left behind. The companies my parents used to own abroad weren't doing very well after their deaths, but with a bit of assistance, I got them back on track. As soon as I finished what I had to do, I decided to come back to Japan. I thought I would surprise you with my return, but I guess _you _surprised me instead," Azumi laughed. "I never thought that you would be in the same school as me. So why did you transfer here from Hakuren?"

"I transferred to Raimon because of the soccer club here. I've made a lot of new friends with the members of the club," Fubuki explained. He turned a questioning gaze upon his friend. "Did you hear about the Aliea Academy incident while you were abroad?"

"Yes, but I was a little busy while overseas, so I didn't know very much about it. Why?" They headed up the last set of stairs to the roof area.

"I was on the team that saved the world," Fubuki grinned as Azumi looked at him in surprise. "I transferred here mainly because of the members on that team. They helped me understand who I really am and became some of my closest friends."

"Who you really are...?" Azumi echoed. She noticed that Fubuki's scarf was gone just as they reached the entrance to the school roof. "You're not wearing your scarf anymore. Then, did you finally...?" Fubuki nodded, and Azumi smiled in delight.

"That's great to hear! I'm so happy for you," she told him and opened the door. A rush of sunshine met them as they headed out into fresh air and sat on the bench by the door. Azumi looked up at the clear sky while Fubuki unpacked his lunch, her eyes misty with memories of the past. "Things have really changed, huh? I can't believe four years have gone by since we last saw each other. I wish I could have been here to support you like your other friends..." Her voice took on a tone of longing and regret. In all the years that she had been away, Fubuki had steadily changed. He had met new people and made wonderful memories with them. She wondered if he had ever really missed her like she had missed him.

"That's not true," Fubuki shook his head with a smile. Azumi looked at him questioningly. "You were always with me, right here." He placed a hand over his heart to show what he meant and turned to smile at the girl sitting beside him. "I never forgot you, Azumi. When I was in doubt, I would remember you and your smile, and suddenly everything would seem clearer. Even when the others helped me understand who I was, you were on my mind alongside them, cheering me on. If it weren't for you, I don't think I would have had the courage to change." Fubuki gave a heartfelt smile to Azumi, and all the emotions he had kept bottled up in his heart came spilling out with his next few words. "I... really missed you, Azumi."

An entire bucket of feelings washed over her after hearing those words. Where had they come from? She didn't know. Perhaps Fubuki's feelings had reached out and bridged the gap that had grown in his absence from her life, allowing hers to go and meet his. With a somewhat flushed face, she put four years' worth of emotions into her own words.

"I missed you too, Fubuki," Azumi returned quietly. Those simple words they exchanged held more meaning to them than either of them thought they knew. For the four years they had been apart, their emotions had silently accumulated until they were carrying a mass burden. But with this, the burden they had been carrying was lifted, and their chests free of the heavy load. They could finally face the world and each other just like they once had.

* * *

The school day was over. Azumi and Fubuki had caught up with one another during lunch. Now it was as if they had never been apart in the first place.

"Your cooking is as good as ever, Azumi," Fubuki dreamily said with a content sigh as he packed up his things. He thought about the cookies Azumi had made in home economics class and another sigh escaped him.

"If you like my cooking so much, why not just live with me so I can cook for you everyday?" Azumi teased. She had meant it entirely as a joke, but Fubuki's eyes lit up at the thought.

"That's a great idea! I should move in with you," he cried. Azumi stopped packing up and stared at him.

"You're joking, aren't you?" she slowly asked.

"No, I'm serious," Fubuki went on. "You live by yourself now that your butler has retired, right? Seeing as how I'm currently living with a friend, it makes a lot more sense if we just live together. I would hate to give my friend and his family more trouble by staying with them any longer."

"No, it doesn't!" Azumi hotly retorted. Her face was burning up at the very notion of Fubuki living in her house with her. "I like living by myself!" Now that was a definite lie. She had always been a bad liar, and Fubuki knew it. Truthfully, she felt lonely living by herself, but it was just too much to ask for Fubuki to live with her. It would only make things a lot more awkward too.

"I can see through your lie, Azumi," Fubuki told her. "It's decided then! I'm moving into your house tonight, and no buts." Azumi opened her mouth to protest only to close it and shake her head instead. Based on past experiences, Fubuki would not budge about his decision no matter what she said. And secretly, she actually liked the idea of living with Fubuki, though she would never admit that out loud. Azumi had just finished gathering her things together when Fubuki suddenly yelped.

"Oh no, we spent so much time talking that I forgot about practice!" Fubuki cried. He hurriedly pulled his belongings together before taking Azumi's hand and lunging for the door, pulling Azumi with him. Her face reddened at the contact.

"W-Wait, Fubuki! Why do I have to go to practice with you?" Azumi stammered. They flew past bewildered students on their way out, causing Azumi to blush even further.

"Because I want you to meet everyone! They're really nice people. I just know you'll like them!" Fubuki answered. Azumi wasn't so sure about that, but she would go meet them since Fubuki insisted on it.

* * *

"I don't know about this..." Azumi fidgeted. They were outside of the school now, and nearing the soccer field even as they spoke. Fubuki turned to look back at her with a gentle smile and squeezed her hand in reassurance. They were still holding hands.

"It'll be fine. I told you, they're nice people," he said to her soothingly. With a pink face, Azumi nodded and continued to follow him to their destination. Within moments, a large soccer field came into view, where members of the soccer team were already playing. The people stopped to look at Fubuki and Azumi as they came down the stone steps. Fubuki held his free hand up and waved at them as he and Azumi came closer.

"Sorry for being late by a few minutes, guys! I hope I didn't keep you all waiting for long," he apologized.

"It's fine, Fubuki! Practice just started, so you didn't miss much. Coach Kudou isn't here yet either. By the way, who's that behind you?" a boy with an orange headband asked. His many companions turned curious eyes toward Azumi as well, who did her best not to shrink back in embarrassment.

"Oh, this is Azumi, who just transferred here today from being overseas. She and I have known each other for a really long time," Fubuki explained. Smiling, he nodded to Azumi for her to introduce herself. Letting go of his hand, she stepped forward with a shy smile.

"It's really nice to meet you all. Fubuki has told me a lot about you guys," Azumi greeted in a quiet voice. She could already name each of the members by the descriptions Fubuki had given her earlier.

"Well, it's nice to meet you too, Azumi!" the boy who had spoken earlier grinned. "I'm Endou by the way, captain and main goalkeeper of the Raimon soccer club." He went on to introduce each of his friends in turn, which was unnecessary, but Azumi did not tell say that out loud. There were a few girls mixed in with the number of boys, like the four managers, or Touko and Rika, who actually participated in matches.

"Say, do you know how to play soccer?" Endou curiously asked after the introductions were finished. Azumi stared at him. The situation was oddly familiar... She was getting a sense of déjà vu. It was almost like history was repeating itself. Maybe... maybe it was time to slightly change history. But right as she opened her mouth to give a confident reply back, a man with dark violet hair appeared from the opposite end of the field and began to walk towards them.

"Oh no, it's Coach Kudou!" Endou exclaimed. The Raimon soccer club members were suddenly running for their lives, quickly getting into formation for another practice match between themselves. "Sorry, Azumi, but we have to go before our coach kills us for slacking off!"

"O-Oh, all right," Azumi blinked and watched as Endou ran off to join the others.

"Sorry, Azumi, but I have to go and get changed for practice. Watch us, okay?" Fubuki gave a quick smile before running off himself, leaving his friend to watch the Raimon soccer club play soccer by the sidelines. Their coach, in the meantime, had finally gotten close enough to start instructing them in their practice match. Azumi watched the game closely, noting every hissatsu technique or maneuver used. Not even five minutes had passed before she had a good idea about all of their abilities. She observed how Tachimukai's team went on the defensive, only to fail by letting Endou's team come in through a small gap in their formation. It happened again when the midfielders on Endou's team passed in a certain pattern to the forwards.

"...They're falling into a trap," Azumi murmured.

"Sorry, did you say something?" Aki asked.

"It's nothing," Azumi quickly said, yet it bothered her. Fubuki had told her that Kidou was their main strategist, but in this case he was on Endou's team for the practice match. Tachimukai's team had no such strategists to help figure out the trick. _Why can't they see it? _Something on her face must have shown how bothered she was, because the next moment Aki was there beside her.

"You look distracted," she commented in concern. "Is something the matter?"

"No, like I said before, it's nothing to worry about," Azumi reassured the manager. She was turning it into a big deal when it wasn't. It was just a practice match after all. But then why did she feel so bothered about it? Aki was silent as she stared at the beautiful girl standing beside her before finally smiling.

"You know what? I think you need something to take your mind off of matters. Why don't you go try on our soccer uniform and come back to show us girls how it looks?" Aki suggested. "The dressing building for the girls is right over there. Spare uniforms are kept inside on the shelf to the left." She couldn't but feel that maybe Aki was right about needing something to distract her from the sensation.

"...All right," Azumi accepted the offer and headed off. She did not notice how Kidou was staring after her with an unreadable expression. He had been close enough to hear what she had said earlier about a trap. _That girl..._

* * *

She zipped up her jacket and stored her clothes in her bag on the bench before turning to view how she looked in the mirror. Azumi had to admit that the uniform was pretty comfortable. At least it didn't look as bad as the uniforms of some other schools. Opening the door, Azumi exited the dressing building and made her way towards the soccer field again. The feeling of walking around in a soccer uniform again after so long was enough to bring a smile to her face. _As I thought, soccer and soccer uniforms are the best. _Wearing it made her want to play the sport.

Azumi slowed down a little as the field came into view, noticing that Fubuki had finally joined the others. She smiled proudly to see her friend defend the ball from the opposing team as she reached the stone steps leading to the soccer grounds.

Then it happened in a split second. Shadow managed to get the ball, but just barely, and accidentally sent the ball flying in a direction other than the goal... towards Azumi.

"Oh no! Watch out!" Endou yelled. Without even thinking about it, Azumi's reflexes kicked in and she easily defended the ball using her stomach. She then quickly sent it flying back with a good kick. Tachimukai didn't even have time to bat an eye as the shoot made it into the goal. Silence descended over the entire group as they all turned to stare in disbelief at Azumi, who looked a little embarrassed. Kidou was the first to speak.

"I knew it. You're a skilled soccer player, just like I thought. The way you followed the ball when you were watching made me wonder about you," Kidou uttered. He raised his head to stare her in the eyes. "You also figured out our shooting pattern, right?"

"Yes," Azumi responded. Her gaze was steady as she stared back at Kidou. Soccer... It was one of the few subjects that she could talk about for hours on end without getting nervous. It was a fascinating sport that she had played since she was little. After kicking the ball for the first time in four years, she finally realized why she had been so bothered earlier. She loved soccer and she took it seriously. It was a sport she was ready to play on a daily schedule again.

"Who is that?" Coach Kudou asked. His dark eyes were also trained on Azumi. This time it was Fubuki who spoke up.

"That's Azumi. She's a childhood friend of mine. If you're wondering about her skills..." Fubuki smiled knowingly. "They're top-notch, even though she hasn't played in four years due to being busy. If I remember correctly, she's been called the kind of soccer player that won't ever come again." More silence. Everyone kept staring at Azumi, but she ignored them. Her attention was focused on Coach Kudou now.

"If it's all right with you, I'd like to join the Raimon soccer club," Azumi told him.

"Done. As of today, you're officially a part of the club," he answered. And just like that, she was in. Coach Kudou turned his attention to the other members. "Well, what are you all doing? Stop gawking and resume practice. Azumi, switch out with Matsune on Endou's team as forward." The coach's orders were followed as Matsune left the field for Azumi, giving her a look of awe on his way to the bench. Everyone else stopped staring as well, but they were all fidgeting, both with unease and amazement at their newest member's abilities.

"Amazing..." Endou mumbled. He was suddenly shouting at the top of his voice enthusiastically. "That was just amazing, Azumi! I never knew that there were soccer players like you out there!" Azumi chuckled as she took her position on the field. _He's as passionate about soccer like Fubuki said he would be._ Fubuki came up at that moment to grin at her.

"You're still as good as ever, Azumi," he complimented. "Don't be afraid to go all out, okay? You should show the world the skills you've been hiding all this time as a soccer player."

"I heard you," Azumi smiled back brightly. She was already bubbling with excitement at the chance to play soccer after so long. There had been no time to practice or play soccer overseas. Nodding to each other, Fubuki ran back to his position and the practice match resumed once more. Their team got to start with a kickoff. As soon as Gouenji had passed the ball to her, she kicked it into the air before kicking it again, straight at the goal.

"A direct shoot?" Kidou cried. Tachimukai and the defenders on his team were unable to stop the ball as it landed in the goal once more.

"That's some crazy kick power..." Touko's eyes were wide as she stared at Azumi.

"I couldn't stop it," Tachimukai looked a little ashamed of himself.

"Don't worry about it! You guys did a good job!" Endou shouted to them with an encouraging smile. "Now, let's play some more soccer!"

* * *

It was already break time. After washing their hands, everyone proceeded to eat the rice balls the managers had prepared. The soccer club members all sat down in a wide circle on the ground as they ate. Tachimukai's team was slumped over on one side of the circle, wearing such dejected faces that it looked more comical than anything.

"We lost 10 - 0 in the first half..." Tachimukai muttered.

"Yeah..." Kurimatsu groaned.

"Sorry about that," Azumi smiled apologetically. "Fubuki told me to go all out, so..."

"Then it was because of you! She would have gone easy on us otherwise!" Kurimatsu and the others glared daggers at Fubuki, who laughed nervously.

"Sorry. But technically, she _did _go easy on you guys. If you think back to the first half, she didn't use any hissatsu techniques, remember?" Fubuki smiled. "Otherwise, if she had, you would have been battered and bruised by the end of it."

"Somehow, that doesn't make me feel any better," Tachimukai mumbled and everyone laughed. The conversation took a turn for the better, with everyone having a good time and enjoying themselves. As Azumi smiled at a joke Tsunami made, she couldn't help but think about how nice the Raimon soccer club was. Fubuki had been right. The members were all nice people and she was able to get along with them well. Never before had she felt so happy to have chosen to play soccer. She turned to look at Fubuki, and they exchanged smiles, each having the same thought in their minds._  
_

_I'm really glad that I transferred to Raimon Junior High._


	3. True Feelings

_**Author's Note: **__Here's chapter three for Eternal Snow. This is probably the first time that I've ever felt so motivated to keep a fanfiction going! I'm so grateful to everyone who has reviewed, followed, or added this story to their favorites. Knowing that I have support from fans out there is what gets me fired up to write the next chapter. Oh, and as a side note, I'm going to try and incorporate more humor into the story. There was a section near the end of the story where I added humor, so I hope my efforts to be funny bear fruit. Please enjoy reading and review when you're done!_

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Inazuma Eleven. Only the OC, Azumi, that I have introduced into this fanfiction belongs to me._

* * *

_She placed a hand against the glass window, looking out at the disappearing ground below as the airplane took off. She wanted to stop the plane and return to where he was waiting for her, but she didn't. It was more like she couldn't. As much as she already missed being with him, she had a duty to fulfill to her deceased parents. Her heart was telling her to cry, but she would not listen. There were no more tears to be shed. She could only smile bravely and face the future._

_"Wait for me," she whispered._

_Back in the airport of a certain cold region, a boy stood staring out the window at a departing plane. He watched as it flew into the air and slowly disappeared from sight. He told himself to be strong, but the image of her crying appeared in his mind, and a single tear fell down his cheek. The full force of the situation suddenly bore down upon him, and he realized that he would not see her for a long time. Memories of their time together drifted through his head until he was finally able to resolutely decide on something._

_"I'll wait for you."_

* * *

Practice was over. They were laughing as they headed home to Azumi's house. She had originally lived here before her parents died, afterwards moving to Hokkaido for a change of pace. Fubuki was telling Azumi about the time during the Football Frontier International when Endou thought he saw a kappa.

"He even put a bowl on his head and demonstrated what the kappa he had seen looked like," Fubuki chuckled. "Then after practice, Hiroto and Kogure were saying the same thing! We never found out if they were telling the truth, but I'm pretty sure they were all just joking." Laughing, Azumi turned to smile at her friend.

"You must have had a lot of fun in the four years we were apart," Azumi remarked.

"Well, what about you?" Fubuki returned. "I'm sure you must have had fun too while overseas."

"I did have _some _fun, but it wasn't as fun because you weren't there with me," Azumi smiled ruefully. The pair was quiet as they continued walking. Both hadn't ever stopped to think about how life had been different after they parted ways. They had just continued living as best as they could until the day came when they saw each other again.

"Azumi, let's go somewhere after school tomorrow and have fun," Fubuki suddenly said in a low voice. Azumi swung her head over to stare at him in surprise. What Fubuki had proposed took several moments for her head to fully process before her face reddened. _Does he mean a d-date? _As far as she knew, their relationship was only that of close friends, nothing more, so she felt a bit foolish for thinking it was a date. But did she want their relationship to be something more? _We're just friends and nothing else... right? _Strangely, she felt something pull at her heart with that thought.

"W-What about practice?" she stammered instead of giving a direct response back.

"We can just tell Coach Kudou that we'll be practicing elsewhere by ourselves," Fubuki grinned. "Come on, what do you say? It'll be nice to spend some time together after it's been so long." He looked at her with his special puppy eyes and Azumi couldn't help but blush.

"F-Fine," she consented, looking away with a flushed face and a racing heart. "Where are we going tomorrow then?"

"It's a surprise," Fubuki winked. Azumi opened her mouth to further ask questions, but Fubuki had already dashed forward with an eager grin. They had made it to Azumi's house, which was more of a mansion than anything. Large with pristine white walls, pillars, and a garden out front, it was like something taken straight out of a fairy tale. They made their way to the front door, where Azumi pulled out the key and fitted it into the lock. She opened the door and closed it behind her after they stepped inside.

"It looks just like I remember it from our childhood days," Fubuki smiled broadly as he looked around him. He and Azumi had played together in the mansion whenever she had invited him to her main home away from Hokkaido, so he had fond memories of the place. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings and a deep red carpet threaded with gold and silver covered the floor. A spiraling staircase led up to the second, third, fourth, and fifth floors.

"I'll make dinner, so you can go ahead and put all your stuff away in one of the guest rooms upstairs," Azumi told her friend and smiled a little. "I'm guessing that you'll take the room beside mine like from when we were kids."

"Yep!" Fubuki smiled back. He shouldered the bags full of his belongings that he had brought over from his friend's house and moved towards the staircase, calling out over his shoulder, "I'm looking forward to dinner, Azumi!" While Fubuki went to unpack, Azumi headed towards the kitchen, setting her stuff by the side to bring up to her own room later. She pulled on her apron and got to work with miso soup and curry in mind.

As she prepared dinner, she kept thinking about the next day and more importantly, her own feelings on the matter. She had known Fubuki for five years, nine if you wanted to count the years they had been apart. In all the time they had known each other, they had been close friends who had done everything together. They had shared each other's experiences, whether good or bad, and helped one another when they were in trouble. No matter how you looked at it, Fubuki was the most important person in her life. _But that doesn't count as love, does it?_ Azumi sighed as she stirred the ingredients for the miso soup together. Why was she so troubled over this?

"I wish I knew perfectly well how I felt about him..." Azumi mumbled to herself. Finished with the miso soup, she moved on to making the curry with thoughts about her feelings towards Fubuki still occupying her head. A memory from when she was ten resurfaced to the front of her mind as she heated the pan.

* * *

_A month before her fated departure from Japan, Azumi was out practicing her hissatsu techniques by a snowy field in Hokkaido. She was so engrossed in her practice that she didn't notice how hard it was snowing until it was too late. The snow obscured her vision and rendered her unable to find her way back to her house._

_Trying not to panic, she tried to make her way towards her home through all the snow, but it was impossible. The harsh wind blew around her, covering her in snow and drowning out her voice when she tried to call for help._

_"Is anyone there?" Azumi shouted for the last time. She turned to try walking in a different direction and stopped, paralyzed with fear. A mountain bear stood before her with glowing eyes and a threatening growl. Alarmed, she fell backward into the snow as the bear bellowed. Her eyes frantically scanned the ground around her for the soccer ball she had been using earlier, but it was nowhere to be found. With nothing to use to defend herself, she could only scream with the thought of death as the bear lunged at her._

_"Azumi!" a familiar voice yelled. A second later, a soccer ball came flying out of nowhere, knocking the bear over with a strangled gurgle. Fubuki appeared right after to lead his friend to safety, but not before the bear swiped out with its claws as it collapsed. The world went black and white like in an action movie as she watched Fubuki fall and cry out in agony while clutching his left arm._

_"Fubuki!" Azumi screamed._

* * *

_They had managed to make it back to her house, where Azumi was tending to Fubuki and his injury._

_"You idiot... Why did you do something so dangerous?" she whispered, tears silently falling down her cheeks._

_"Sorry," Fubuki murmured. He winced as Azumi gently pressed a clean cloth to his wound. "But I was really worried, so I went out to look for you. When I saw the bear, I couldn't help but try to protect you, Azumi. I didn't know what I would do if you died..."_

_"I wouldn't know what to do either if you died and left me all alone, Fubuki," she told him. Azumi reached out and squeezed his hand with a tearful smile. "Promise that you'll always be by my side, okay?"_

_"I promise," Fubuki smiled, and he squeezed her hand back._

* * *

A tear dripped down her cheek, and with a start, Azumi realized that she had begun to cry at the memory. She hurriedly wiped the tear away and smiled to herself as she began to peel potatoes. _How could I have forgotten?_ With that memory, she realized that Fubuki was an irreplaceable person in her life. In a moment of life and death, he had come to save her, risking his own life in the process. She could still remember how she had felt when she thought she was going to lose him forever. The feeling that she was never going to see him again... She knew how she felt now, and accepted it.

"I really do love him," she quietly whispered.

"Huh? Did you say something, Azumi?" a voice asked. Azumi whipped around in surprise to see Fubuki with a questioning look standing by the entrance to the kitchen. He had probably finished putting all his things into his new room. Blushing, she shook her head, feeling relieved that he hadn't comprehended what she said out loud.

"N-No, I didn't," she stuttered and quickly turned back to the stove to hide her red face. "Anyways, do you want to help out? Your cooking is pretty good too, Fubuki."

"Sure, but I like the food you make more," Fubuki moved to stand beside her. With the two of them working together, dinner was soon finished and they sat down to eat. Fubuki looked hungrily at the food sitting on the dining table and immediately dug in, smiling happily as he swallowed his first bite of the curry.

"It's so good!" he exclaimed with shining eyes. "Your cooking really is the best!" Laughing a little, Azumi started to eat as well. The two of them chatted for the remainder of dinner, which ended on a pleasant note.

* * *

Her eyes darted from one dress to the other as she contemplated which to wear for the following day. She normally didn't spend too much time picking what to wear, but tomorrow was special. It wasn't an official date or anything, but she was going to treat it like one now that she knew about her feelings for Fubuki. As she stared at the dresses laid out on her bed, she remembered something Fubuki had told her when they were younger.

_"My favorite colors are blue, white, and gray."_

With that in mind, Azumi smiled in satisfaction as she chose the deep blue dress in the middle and set it aside for the next day, putting the others back in her closet. Turning off the lights, she crawled into bed and closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to come to her. She felt more at peace than she had in years as she fell asleep. Perhaps it was because she finally knew her true feelings...

* * *

Fubuki stared up at the ceiling from his bed. He thought about the girl who was sleeping in the room next to his and sighed quietly. It had been such an eventful day for him. The unexpected had happened, what with Azumi returning to Japan, transferring to the same school, and even joining the same club. It was all just so incredible that he almost couldn't believe that any of it had really happened.

A smile spread across his face as the gray-haired boy thought about the promise he had made with Azumi four years ago. The promise had finally been kept. But now that Azumi was back in Japan, it was time for Fubuki to assess his feelings about her. Ever since he had seen her smile for the first time in ages that morning, she had been on his mind everywhere he went. Whenever he thought about her return to the country, he felt a surge of happiness. It was hard to keep his emotions from overflowing. Fubuki sighed again and closed his eyes, letting his drowsiness get the better of him as he drifted into sleep. He was sure he would find the answer the next morning.

* * *

The school day passed by in the blink of an eye. Azumi and Fubuki had already asked Endou to tell Coach Kudou that they weren't going to be at practice that day. They were walking away from the school towards an unknown destination now. Azumi was curious about where they were going, but decided not to ask. After all, Fubuki had told her the day before that he wanted it to be a surprise.

"Oh, Azumi, I didn't have the chance to tell you this before, but you look really pretty today," Fubuki glanced behind his shoulder to give her a charming smile. Azumi's face heated up at the compliment.

"Thanks," she murmured. When she was sure that Fubuki wasn't looking, she smiled to herself. He was as sweet as ever. She looked up as Fubuki spoke.

"It's right up ahead," he announced.

"Really?" Azumi blinked. Nodding, Fubuki led her to a bend in the road and took the right turn, stopping to smile back at her.

"You always told me that you loved these sort of places when we were kids," he explained, glad to see a delighted smile appear on Azumi's face as she stared at what was in front of her. It was an amusement park. She could plainly hear the screams of people riding roller coasters and see the happy faces of children as their parents bought colorful balloons for them. There were so many rides to choose from that she couldn't decide which to try first.

Unfortunately, she also did not miss the stares they were getting from passerby. It was to be expected though, considering that she was with Fubuki Shirou, a member of Japan's national junior high soccer team. But she didn't think that the guys would be staring too, just at her. They were all whispering to each other and gossiping about the sight before them. Some were taking out their cellphones to text friends about the news.

"I didn't know that Fubuki was dating someone!" one girl exclaimed loudly. Both Fubuki and Azumi blushed, quickly turning to go buy entrance tickets.

"It's too bad that a lot of people know about me," Fubuki smiled apologetically as he handed the staff member money. "A lot of attention is on us now."

"It's fine," Azumi told him. She was unsuccessful at trying to hide her pink cheeks and tried to switch subjects by pointing to the nearest roller coaster. "Let's try that one first!"

* * *

Fubuki was out of breath by the time Azumi finally suggested that they go on the Ferris wheel together. They had tried over ten different rides in the past ninety minutes and played dozens of games, all of which Azumi had thoroughly enjoyed (and won). He smiled in amusement now to see her gaze in wonder like a small child out the glass panel at the world below.

"The view's really nice," she murmured. They were sitting together in the compartment.

"You're right," Fubuki agreed. Sitting here like this, just the two of them... it made him feel relaxed. He and Azumi continued to look through the same side at the sight below in silence, where the people looked like tiny ants just milling about.

Azumi turned to say something to Fubuki, only to stop as she realized that their faces were only inches apart.

"S-Sorry," Azumi apologized with a red face as she drew back. However, Fubuki surprised her by reaching out to gently stop her and turn her back around to face him. "Fubuki...?"

"Azumi, I..." Fubuki trailed off. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again, staring into Azumi's eyes with a gentleness that she had never seen in them before.

"Ever since we were children, I always admired how strong-willed you were. You opened my eyes to a new world, a world where I could freely play soccer without feeling sad about my deceased family. I was always thankful to you for helping me overcome my sadness. I would have drowned in a sea of despair without you. You were, and still are, the light in my world," Fubuki paused for a moment to smile before continuing. _This is the answer that I found to my feelings for you._ "I love you, Azumi."

Time seemed to freeze in place. Those words he uttered resounded in Azumi's ears, blocking out any other surrounding noises. All she could think and focus on was the boy sitting next to her, the boy who was her closest friend, and the boy who had always been there for her.

"Fubuki..." she finally managed to say. She swallowed the lump in her throat as joyful tears sprang to her eyes. _This is my answer to your feelings for me..._ "I love you too." That was all Fubuki needed to hear before he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.

* * *

Somewhere on the ground below, the members of Inazuma Japan had gathered together to hide as they waited for the compartment that Azumi and Fubuki were in to come back full circle.

"This isn't exactly hiding, you guys..." Kazemaru sighed in exasperation as his teammates either ran around while laughing and eating ice cream (like Kabeyama and Kogure) or lounged around in the open (like Fudou and Tsunami). "And I feel kind of bad about spying on them like this." Unfortunately, almost no one else was listening to him.

"Ten dollars that they're kissing when the thing comes back around," Fudou called out in a half-disinterested voice from a bench. His eyes were closed and he had his hands behind his head.

"Oh, we're betting, are we? Five dollars that they're kissing _and _hugging at the same time," Tsunami grinned.

"I don't know about that, Tsunami," Hijikata looked thoughtful. "Fubuki's a little shy. I'll bet five dollars that they aren't kissing at all."

"Good grief," Kazemaru just shook his head at the conversation and face palmed. He looked up as Endou took a seat with everyone else, humming as he wore a sincerely innocent and naive expression. The captain had just come back from checking the amusement park out. "...Endou, you have absolutely no idea about what's going on, do you?"

"What?" Endou just gave him a blank stare in return, which confirmed his suspicions.

"What am I going to do with you all?" Kazemaru sighed again. At least Kidou and Gouenji were staying silent.

"Oh, it's coming back around!" Kurimatsu excitedly cried.

"What, really?" Tsunami jumped to his feet. Everyone stopped what they were doing to hide behind the nearest building, even Kazemaru. They waited impatiently as Azumi and Fubuki's compartment came around, some of them leaning forward or peering closely to see what the two were doing inside.

"They're..." Someoka faltered. He craned his neck forward to get a better view and his eyes widened. "They're kissing, they're kissing!" This earned whistles from the majority of the team, except for Hijikata and Tsunami, who were groaning as Fudou held an expectant hand out.

"Well? Fork the money over," Fudou demanded. "You lost the bet, so pay up."

"We heard you..." Tsunami grumbled. He and Hijikata reached into their pockets only to suddenly stop and turn to look at each other with distressed faces.

"Um, Fudou?" Hijikata hesitated.

"What?" he glared at them.

"We, uh, don't exactly have any money on us..." Hijikata nervously laughed as both he and Tsunami pulled their empty hands out of their pockets. It took only one menacing look from Fudou for Tsunami and Hijikata to turn tail and run for their lives.

"Hey! Get back here! I want my money!" Fudou yelled as he chased after them.

"Kazemaru, help us!" Tsunami pleaded.

"No can do," his teammate responded. "Serves you right anyways, betting over something like that."

"What? Kazemaru!" Tsunami indignantly cried as he continued running from the furious Fudou. Strangely, Kazemaru did not feel bad as he watched the three run around. He wondered why.

* * *

The Ferris wheel finally came full circle. When it did, Azumi and Fubuki were still kissing, but as soon as they noticed that the ride was about to end, they stopped with smiles on their faces.

"After you, Azumi," Fubuki grinned as he opened the compartment door for her.

"Why, thank you," Azumi smiled back and stepped out with Fubuki on her heels. As soon as she hit solid ground, both she and Fubuki knew there was something wrong.

"Do you... feel that?" Azumi asked. She looked puzzled. "It's like there's someone watching us or something."

"Yeah," Fubuki frowned. Shrugging, the pair turned to go get something to eat only to stop as they heard loud yelling coming from their left. They looked over to see Fudou angrily chasing Tsunami and Hijikata.

"What the...?" Fubuki blinked before it hit him. He exchanged glances with Azumi, who apparently had the same idea he did. "You don't think...?" Together, they swiveled their heads and inspected the nearby area, eventually finding familiar, not to mention alarmed, faces.

"I knew it. It's Inazuma Japan," Azumi sighed. She raised her voice to call them over. "Get over here, you guys! A lot of explaining needs to be done." Guilt was written on each of the faces that appeared before them.

"Sorry about this, Azumi," Kazemaru looked apologetic. "After Endou told Coach Kudou you guys weren't coming to practice, he said that we could have the day off. And for some strange reason, he looked like he was about to laugh before he left. Everyone got curious and decided to find out what you guys were up to because they all thought that the excuse you guys gave was a lie. I tried to stop them, but they ended up dragging me along too. So we came here and, uh, followed you guys around the whole time."

"The whole time?" Fubuki repeated. His face heated up as did Azumi's when they realized that they must have seen them kissing while on the Ferris wheel. "Then you guys...!"

"Yep," Someoka grinned. The members behind him were doing their best not to laugh, which only made Azumi and Fubuki blush harder. "We saw it all."

"You guys are horrible," Azumi shook her head with pink cheeks and gave the team a disapproving look. However, she couldn't help but smile afterwards. "Well, what's done is done. I'm hoping that you guys won't do something like this again... right?"

"Yes!" Inazuma Japan's members nodded in unison.

"Then seeing as how everyone is here, let's have some fun and tour the amusement park together," Azumi smiled. Cheering, the team raced off with each of them arguing about what to ride first. Tsunami and Hijikata called for them to wait up as the still angry Fudou followed. Laughing, Azumi turned to smile at Fubuki.

"I guess we're going out now then," Fubuki smiled back at her.

"Of course. We love each other, don't we?" Azumi's cheeks reddened a little. "Shall we go then?" Fubuki nodded, and the two held hands as they walked after their friends.


	4. First Official Date

_**Author's Note: **__Here's the next update for Eternal Snow. Also, as a heads up, I want to let readers know that friendship will be incorporated more into the story. Don't worry, romance will still be a large part of Eternal Snow, but tied with all the romance will be some fluffy friendship chapters. I want to make part of this story be about making friends and developing relationships with the Raimon Soccer Club, so in the upcoming chapters Azumi will get to know Inazuma Japan better. Let me know if you have a specific character you want to see a chapter be about by dropping a review. Thank you and enjoy reading! Please consider submitting a review when you're done!_

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Inazuma Eleven. Only the OC, Azumi, that I have introduced into this fanfiction belongs to me._

* * *

_"Call me Shirou! S-H-I-R-O-U," he emphasized with a smile. The young girl facing him looked a little embarrassed_.

_"Are you sure it's all right that I can call you that?" she asked._

_"Of course it's fine! We've been friends for awhile now, haven't we?" the small boy answered._

_"O-Okay then, Shirou..." the girl shyly said with a smile, and he smiled back in delight._

* * *

Nearly a week had passed since Azumi and Fubuki's first kiss. By this point in time, everyone in the Raimon soccer club knew that the two were going out, and the playful teasing that accompanied them wherever they went was slowly dying away. Their walks to and from school included them openly holding hands now, and the house was filled with much more laughter and joy than in past times.

After the Raimon soccer club finished practice that day, Fubuki and Azumi strayed away from their usual route home and instead headed in a new direction, earning themselves curious looks from several of Inazuma Japan's members.

"I wonder where they're going..." Someoka mused before a grin lit up his entire face. "Hey, what do you guys think? Care to join me as I follow them?" A murmuring of agreement went through the team's members, while some shook their heads in opposition to the idea, such as Gouenji and Kidou.

"I think it's a bad idea. Besides, we all promised not to follow those two again, remember?" Kazemaru prompted. "They would get mad at us if they found out we followed them a second time, and I don't think either of them would forgive us easily."

"_If _they find out," Someoka corrected with a smirk. He chose to say nothing about the promise they'd made a week ago. "We'll just have to make sure they don't."

* * *

It was their first official date. Fubuki had asked Azumi the day before if she wanted to go to the movies with him, and she'd accepted the invitation with a smile. They were now on their way to the theater, holding holds like they had come to do while talking. The sun shone brightly down upon the couple as they walked, the good weather only amplifying their good moods. They were right about to take the left in a fork in the road to the theater when Azumi felt a familiar sensation creep up on her. As she wondered what it was, the hairs on the back of her neck tingled and she stopped to look back behind her. She could have sworn that she saw something move.

"Is there something the matter, Azumi?" Fubuki's eyes flashed with worry.

"...It's nothing," his girlfriend finally said and they started to walk again. After they turned the corner and disappeared from view, a relieved sigh came from behind a fence.

"That was close," Kurimatsu nervously poked his head out from behind Inazuma Japan's hiding place, the others nodding their heads. "I have to say though, how can Azumi sense these things? We weren't even following them for two minutes when she felt our presences." Nobody said anything. None of them had the answer to the alarming question they all shared. Finally, Kazemaru cleared his throat to get the attention of the others.

"Just remember that we won't be following them for long. We're only here to have an idea of what they're up to, got it? We'll leave at the slightest sign of being noticed a second time," Kazemaru looked at each of the faces of his teammates in turn, resting on Someoka's face in particular. "Do we all understand?"

"Yes, Kazemaru," came a chorus of voices. Nodding in satisfaction, the teal-haired boy turned to go after Azumi and Fubuki, a flash of doubt crossing his mind as his friends followed him. Why was he doing this again?

* * *

Azumi and Fubuki paid for their tickets and headed further into the movie theater, slipping into the correct room and weaving through the darkness until they found where they wanted to sit. Choosing the highest row of chairs in the center bottom area, they took their seats and waited patiently for the movie to begin, engaging in a quiet conversation as they did so. They did not notice Inazuma Japan silently shuffle into the theater room and take the seats directly behind them in the center top seat area. Except for the couple and their watchers, there were only a few other audience members in the otherwise empty screening room. None of them had to wait long before the lights dimmed and the movie began, which was a romantic comedy.

The first half hour went rather well for the couple even though all they did was laugh and whisper comments to each other. Then, about halfway through the movie, Azumi reached out to get some popcorn when her hand accidentally brushed against Fubuki's. She turned to look at him in surprise before she began to murmur an apology, her sentence getting cut off as Fubuki kissed her on the lips. He broke away a few seconds later, a gentle smile on his lips as he looked at the blushing Azumi.

"You can call me Shirou again, you know. It's been so long since you've called me that," Fubuki told her. She blinked, suddenly recalling childhood memories of calling him that, and shortly snapped back to reality. It really had been so long since she had last called him by his first name that it appeared she had almost forgotten about it.

"Then that's what I'll call you from now on... Shirou," Azumi whispered the last part softly, her cheeks a little pink from saying it for the first time in four years. Yet it sounded good in her ears, the familiarity striking a long forgotten chord in her heart and mind.

"Good," Shirou smiled back at her and leaned in for another kiss.

* * *

Inazuma Japan had been watching all of this with smirks, stifled giggles, and barely contained whistles. It looked like the Raimon Soccer Club's famous couple was doing just fine, if not excellent. Their love was blossoming even further, much to the delight of their teammates. The rest of the hour passed with pleasant results: a few more kisses and intertwined hands resting on the same armrest. Near the end of the movie, Someoka turned to smirk at Kazemaru.

"I told you we'd make sure they wouldn't notice us, and they haven't," Someoka smugly said. But perhaps he spoke too soon, because the next moment, Kabeyama was suddenly wrinkling his nose.

"Kabeyama, what's the matter?" Kurimatsu hissed as quietly as he could.

"I-I have to sneeze!" he explained in a hushed voice.

"Well, hold it in!" Kurimatsu shot back.

"I can't!" Kabeyama wailed. Someoka and Kazemaru quickly clamped their hands over their friend's large mouth with panicked faces, but sighed in relief as nothing happened. Luckily for them, the couple below was too engrossed with the movie and each other. Thus, they had not heard his voice. After releasing their hands from Kabeyama's mouth, Someoka glared at him.

"Kabeyama, you almost ruined our cover! If you have to go sneeze, do it outside quietly!" the tanned boy whispered furiously to him. Nodding vigorously, the big defender moved to do as Someoka had suggested only to stop with a distressed look.

"I can't get out of my seat!" Kabeyama squirmed around, but it was useless. His efforts to get out into the aisle were futile. He was too big, which made someone wonder about how he had managed to squeeze into one of the seats in the first place. Kazemaru and Someoka's eyes widened at this.

"What do you mean you can't get out?" Kazemaru stared at him, the full weight of the situation rapidly closing in on him. Everyone at Raimon Junior High knew that when Kabeyama sneezed, he sneezed loud enough for the whole school to hear. "Kabeyama, you really need to get out of that seat. Otherwise, those two down there are going to kill us if they find out that we followed them again!" He was really starting to regret the fact that he had tagged along with the others. But now that he really thought about it, why had he even come in the first place? Kazemaru shook his head to get rid of his troubling thoughts and put on a determined expression. There was no use thinking about the past. Besides, there were more pressing matters at hand.

"All right, Kabeyama. Someoka and I are going to try to help you get out of your seat, but you need to do your best to get out too, okay?" Kazemaru stared pointedly at him and he quickly nodded. After turning to nod at Someoka, he looked back at the stuck Kabeyama and made room so Someoka could join his side. The two boys grabbed Kabeyama's shoulder and right arm before grunting in hushed tones, pushing with all of their might to get Kabeyama to pop out of his seat while trying to stay unnoticed by the others in the theater. Kabeyama tried leaning towards the aisle in another attempt to break free while his friends pushed him, but not even five seconds had passed when Kabeyama felt his nose start to itch again.

Too busy in trying to shove Kabeyama out of his seat, Kazemaru and Someoka failed to notice what was happening to Kabeyama until it was too late. They finally stopped exerting themselves to tell their friend that the situation was hopeless when their eyes widened at the sight of Kabeyama's twitching face.

"No!" they both lunged at the same time to stop him, but the outcome was inevitable. Kabeyama's face scrunched up and his face shot forward as he sneezed loudly, the effect immediately taking place. The entire screening room literally shook with the force of a single person's sneeze and the ground trembled a little beneath their feet, causing Kazemaru and Someoka to fall back down into their seats. It was like a mini earthquake was going on at that very moment. The slight tremors stopped as quickly as they had come a moment after, and the screening room was reverted back to its original state.

Now, however, Kabeyama sat frozen in his seat as the eyes of everyone in the room turned on him, which consisted mainly of Inazuma Japan and a few strangers. More importantly, Azumi and Shirou were staring at Kabeyama, who could only look at the floor in embarrassment with downcast eyes. Someoka, who sat to Kabeyama's right, laughed nervously as the ending credits for the movie appeared on screen.

With a forced smile, all he could say was, "Those were some weird tremors, weren't they?"

* * *

Inazuma Japan stood outside in a deserted alley, bowing in apology to the expectant couple that stood in front of them.

"We're sorry!" they cried in unison before straightening up. Sighing, Azumi uncrossed her arms and reached up to run a hand through her hair.

"Seriously, you guys just _had _to follow us a second time, didn't you?" Azumi stared at the sea of abashed faces in front of her. Kabeyama, Someoka, and Kazemaru looked especially ashamed of themselves.

"I'm sorry, Azumi, for not trying harder to keep the promise we all made to you," Kazemaru bowed again, letting his long hair hide his embarrassed face. "I fail as a trustworthy teammate."

"Actually, it's all my fault. I was being too nosy and didn't let you guys have your privacy. I'm really sorry too," Someoka bowed like Kazemaru, feeling sincerely regretful for once.

"I-I'm sorry as well. I didn't mean to ruin your, um, date," Kabeyama followed Kazemaru and Someoka's examples, bowing as low as he could possibly go without toppling over. Azumi turned to glance at Shirou, and after sharing a look, both turned back to the team with kind smiles on their faces.

"Your apologies are accepted. Now straighten up, you three!" Shirou told them. His teammates stopped bowing and looked pleasantly surprised that the two were not as mad at them as they had originally thought. With grateful expressions, each of them offered their thanks to the couple for forgiving them.

"Please try to not follow us again, okay? Although I suspect some incident of this sort may happen again in the future anyways," Azumi laughed as her friends started to fidget and look embarrassed again. "Hey, brighten up! Since we're all here, let's all go out and have some fun together. Shirou and I were thinking about going across the street to Inazuma Ice for some ice cream."

"Shir-" Tsunami started to ask but was cut off with a warning glance from Kidou. They had been let off the hook, so there was no point in looking for trouble when Azumi and Shirou had graciously forgiven them. Shrugging, Tsunami turned to join the others as they raced off to buy ice cream to eat.

"This feels exactly like what happened at the amusement park," Azumi commented with a grin.

"Doesn't it?" Fubuki laughed. "Come on, I'll race you!" He was already off and running before Azumi had a chance to react.

"Hey, Shirou! You got a head start!" Azumi protested, but laughing, she took off after him.

* * *

Azumi's eyes gleamed with eagerness to eat the strawberry ice cream sundae that she was sharing with Shirou. It sat in the middle of the table between them, tempting her with the fresh strawberries that it was topped with. She picked up her spoon and took some of it, placing it in her mouth with barely restrained anticipation.

"It's delicious!" Her eyes lit up at the taste and she reached to get some more, an amused Shirou watching her eat with a smile. The rest of Inazuma Japan was scattered throughout the shop, each eating ice cream with friends at their own tables.

"You like sweets as much as ever, huh?" Shirou finally decided to try some of the ice cream as well. After placing a bite in his mouth, he also had to admit that it was pretty good.

"Is there something wrong with that?" Azumi's cheeks heated up as she placed another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

"Nope," Shirou smiled. "I just think it makes you look cute, that's all."

"S-Shirou!" With a blushing face, Azumi focused on eating the ice cream, causing Shirou to laugh a little.

"So is there somewhere else you want to go after this?" Shirou wiped his mouth off with a napkin. Azumi looked up at him before glancing to the side with a thoughtful expression. She tapped the spoon she held against the strawberry ice cream sundae's glass as she silently contemplated about places she wanted to visit. The hand that held the spoon suddenly stopped mid-swing as she looked back at Shirou with a bright smile.

"I've thought of someplace to go," she cheerfully told him.

* * *

"The indoor ice skating rink here in Inazuma," Azumi announced with a smile. "Feels a little more like Hokkaido now, don't you think so? It's been awhile since we've ice skated together too." She had chosen to go here as their last destination for the day. Both she and Shirou had already put on ice skates. Their friends, in the meantime, were slow in gearing up behind them in the changing area by the stands. There was only a small number of people in the ice rink at this time of day, leaving plenty of room for Inazuma Japan to get in on the action.

"You picked a good place, Azumi," Shirou looked happy to be back in territory similar to his birthplace. Smiling at the girl beside him, he held a hand out to her. "Are you ready?" Nodding, Azumi took his hand and the couple stepped out onto the ice rink. The frozen ice was a familiar sight for their eyes as they had often ice skated together as children back in Hokkaido. It had been through ice skating that the two had also developed similar, if not exactly the same, hissatsu techniques. Holding hands, the two started to slowly ice skate, making an entire trip around the ice rink as a warm-up before they quickened their speed.

Letting go of Shirou's hand, Azumi started to skate in synchronization with him to the side, both easily copying the other's movements. The end result: a perfectly in tune pair ice skating. Inazuma Japan watched in amazement from the sidelines, most of them wondering how the heck they could ice skate so well.

"It's not that hard, you guys," Kidou was suddenly in front of them, waving impatiently at the team for them to get onto the ice too. "Come on, we're here already, so you all might as well learn or practice ice skating." Nodding mutely, Inazuma Japan took their eyes off the couple and hesitantly stepped out onto the frozen layer of ice. Almost immediately some of them fell, including Endou, and when they got up, the same thing happened again. Azumi and Shirou looked over at the laughing team, smiles creeping up on their faces at the sight.

"Looks like they're having fun," Azumi noted. Her smile widened when she turned to look back at Shirou. "Shirou, let's do a spin together!" She reached out to take Shirou's hand in hers and skated a bit closer to him, the two moving towards the center of the ice rink for more room. Shirou gently held her hands as they skated in a slow circle, nodding right before he finally let go and launched her up into the air. Azumi spun in mid-air for a quick moment before she landed neatly back on the ice, a laugh escaping her mouth as she skated back towards her boyfriend.

"Did you see that?" Azumi's eyes were shining with excitement. "I almost forgot how fun it was to ice skate."

"Want to try doing Ice Ground now? We made that technique while ice skating," Shirou mentioned the hissatsu technique with a smile as he thought back to his childhood memories of making the move with Azumi. His companion nodded at the idea. The two took a step back before suddenly skating forward, jumping into the air at the same time while spinning. Their friends watched from where they ice skated, and their eyes widened as each of them recognized the familiar movement. The couple eventually came back down to the ice, landing as they held their arms out to balance themselves. Shirou turned to smile at Azumi and take her hand in his again. They had come to a halt, standing still in the middle of the ice rink as they faced each other.

"You know, today's been really fun," he quietly told her.

"It was fun for me too," Azumi murmured back. She raised her head to look up at the ceiling, a wistful look on her face as she stared at the glass that let the setting sun in from above. After ice skating and even doing Ice Ground with Shirou again, her longing to visit Hokkaido again had reawakened. "I kind of want to visit Hokkaido now..."

"If you want to, we can go on a trip to Hokkaido next weekend," Shirou squeezed her hand. Azumi glanced at him in surprise before her lips curved into a smile.

"That would be nice," she whispered and leaned in for a kiss.


	5. Back To The Beginning

_**Author's Note:**__ Wow, we're already at chapter five. o u o This is probably the farthest I've ever gone with any fanfiction, haha. I've had a lot of fun writing Eternal Snow so far, so much in fact that I think I may create a sequel to it after the last chapter. I'll also let you guys in on a little secret: I'm planning on writing another Inazuma Eleven fanfiction, one that's based almost entirely on OCs. I'll probably start working on it after I finish Eternal Snow, so keep an eye out for it! I may just have OC submission forms where I include your original characters in the story. Anyways, enjoy reading! Please consider submitting a review when you're done!_

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Inazuma Eleven. Only my OC, Azumi, and her hissatsu techniques that I have introduced into this fanfiction belong to me._

* * *

_The first time she saw him, he was shivering in the cold with a scrunched up face. He looked so funny that she couldn't help but laugh at the sight of him despite how chilled he looked. She ended up offering him a ride to his destination and sat next to him in the back of her limousine while her butler drove._

_"T-Thank y-you," the boy's teeth chattered as he offered a grateful smile to his savior, wrapping the blanket she had given him tighter around himself. She couldn't help but think his smile looked a little strained._

_"You're welcome. By the way, what were you doing out there in the cold?" she curiously asked the stranger._

_"I was, uh, practicing," the boy nodded to the soccer ball at his feet. "The snow field's name is the Northern Ridge. It's a special place where I like to practice." She stared at the object and swallowed her unease. She had a few bad memories of soccer, mainly due to the fact that it made everyone jealous of her abilities and not want to play with her._

_"Oh... I see," she nodded slowly before remembering something. "Wait, I think I've heard of that place before. My butler, the one who's driving the car right now, told me a lot of avalanches occur there. Is it okay for you to practice somewhere so dangerous?" She thought she saw something flash in the boy's eyes, but it happened too fast for her to tell if she had really seen something or not._

_"Yeah..." he murmured before giving a small smile. Again, his smile looked a little strained. "It's fine. Avalanches never happen whenever I practice there anyways, so it's okay." She doubted that it was really all right for him to practice there, but said nothing more on the matter._

_"I forgot to introduce myself earlier. I'm Azumi," she smiled._

_"It's nice to meet you, Azumi. I'm Fubuki, Fubuki Shirou," the boy introduced himself as well, smiling back at her. Why did his smile look so forced and sad? She wondered why he smiled like that._

* * *

"Yes, we're finally in Hokkaido!" Endou grinned broadly. He was bouncing up and down in his seat in his excitement at the sight of the snow-covered grounds outside. Azumi couldn't suppress a laugh at seeing the captain get so worked up over snow, but she could definitely agree on how nice it was to be back in the region.

"How did our private trip turn into a training camp again?" Shirou grumbled from beside her, which only made Azumi laugh harder.

"Don't you remember? Coach overheard us talking about it and thought that it would be a good idea to train in such cold conditions here," she reminded him with a smile. "Besides, the more the merrier, right?"

"I guess," Shirou sighed. "But I would have liked it to be just the two of us." With slightly pink cheeks, Azumi made no comment, nor would she have had time to, because at that moment, Kudou turned his head to address the group of soccer players sitting behind him.

"Remember, we're here for training, not for fun and games in the snow. If you really must play though, do it in your free time. Does everyone understand?" Kudou's dark eyes scanned the sea of nodding faces before nodding himself. "Good. When we arrive at the cabin lodge Azumi has so graciously rented for us, I want everyone to unpack quickly before heading out to run laps for an hour. Azumi will be staying behind to prepare the food while the managers will be out shopping for ingredients for the rest of our stay. Make sure to return for dinner by seven. Real training will start at nine in the morning tomorrow." He turned back around to face the front of the Inazuma Caravan, leaving the team to chatter excitedly among themselves.

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be all right by yourself?" Shirou looked very concerned for his girlfriend. She would be the only one in the large cabin lodge they were staying in while everyone else was out.

"I'll be fine, so don't worry too much. Everyone has left already, Shirou. You better get going," Azumi reassured him. They'd reached the building just a mere five minutes before and everyone had immediately unpacked and left to run laps under the watchful eye of their coach.

"...Okay," Shirou finally turned to leave, but he hesitated at the door. "If you need me, come find me outside, okay? I'll be back soon." With that, he flashed a quick smile before leaving. Azumi watched him leave with a smile of her own. The lodge was very quiet now that she was the only one in it, but she didn't mind too much.

"Now then, I have to get dinner ready," she murmured to herself.

* * *

The pots were simmering, the dessert was baking in the oven, and the lodge was all tidied up thanks to Azumi. She glanced around at her surroundings with a satisfactory smile.

"Looks good," she told herself. With nothing else to do for the next half hour until the team came back, Azumi decided to head out for a little bit. She grabbed the nearest soccer ball and exited the lodge, zipping up her coat as she ran down the wooden steps. It had been snowing earlier, right when she started getting dinner ready. The snow had already stopped falling, but there had been enough to add another inch to the layer of snow outside. It was such a pristine white that it sparkled under the partially cloud covered sun, making it truly seem like a winter wonderland even though it was already nearing summer.

_Feels good to be back. _The sight of the snow was rather refreshing in Azumi's opinion. She breathed in the crisp air and exhaled with a smile on her face. Her head always felt so much clearer when she was outside. Tucking the soccer ball she held under her right arm, Azumi set off for her destination, a place called the Northern Ridge.

The sound of snow crunching under her feet was all she heard for the next few minutes as she followed a trail through the nearby trees. She was met on the other end by a large field of snow with a cliff overlooking the area on one side. Azumi had expected to see Shirou practicing here, but there was no one else in the Northern Ridge. She felt a little disappointed, but swallowed it down as she walked further onto the field. There was time to see Shirou later. Now was the time for her to concentrate on practicing soccer by herself.

She hadn't even taken more than three steps when a loud growl stopped her. Whipping around, she was faced by a mountain bear that stood just a few yards away. It opened its mouth and growled again at her, its dark eyes seeming to pierce through her very soul. Azumi was unfazed. She stared back at the beast with a fierce expression, her eyes full of determination. She should have known that she would see another bear in her lifetime, especially in Hokkaido. Shirou had even told her one time that bears were somewhat common in the cold region.

The last time she had encountered a bear was four years ago when she was out training. Shirou had saved her but injured his left arm in the process. That time she had been defenseless and scared beyond belief, but this time, she was ready. She didn't care if the bear was the same one from the past because it didn't matter.

"This is for Shirou," Azumi's eyes flashed dangerously as she let go of her soccer ball. She spun the ball into the air with her feet, the temperature around her suddenly decreasing at an alarming rate as the ball was covered in an icy white aura. Shards of ice, snow, and freezing wind blew from around the quickly spinning ball as Azumi jumped into the air at the same time the bear rushed at her with outstretched claws. She spun five times in the air, so rapidly that she was just a blur of movement before she finally kicked the ball. "Blow 'em over... _Eternal Blizzard... X_!"

The ball shot towards the bear in an explosion of howling wind and ice, hitting it directly in the face and sending it flying back several yards into the forest behind, ice freezing every step of the way. Azumi caught the ball as it bounced off of the bear, her face grim as she stared at the dark figure lying on the ground some distance off.

"I'm not going to let myself get killed so easily," she declared. "I've slowly changed in the past four years. I'm not who I was anymore." With that, she headed back to the lodge, her soccer practice done for the time being.

* * *

She blinked. The scene before her had a sense déjà vu about it. Recently she had been having many déjà vu moments, but this one was the most familiar one yet. In front of the lodge stood a shivering Shirou, who had not noticed her presence yet. His hair was covered by a large mound of snow and so were his shoulders, shoes, and the soccer ball lying on the ground beside his feet. It was just like the first time she had seen him. A laugh escaped her lips and soon she was clutching her stomach with laughter.

"Shirou, what happened to you?" Azumi finally managed to get out as she approached her boyfriend and wiped the tears from her eyes. Shirou looked up with an embarrassed face at the sight of the girl.

"I, uh, got pelted with snowballs by the others during our run," Shirou smiled sheepishly. "But at least they got a punishment from Coach Kudou for fooling around. They have to run an extra mile before dinner."

"That's what happened?" Azumi looked rather amused. She reached over with a hand and brushed the snow off of Shirou, a smile gracing her lips. "You were waiting for me, weren't you? It's pretty cold out here. Come on, let's go inside where it's warmer."

* * *

_One of the very first hissatsu techniques they made together was Eternal Blizzard. It was Azumi who had come up with the concept and Shirou who had mastered the technique, but Azumi refined and added her own touch to it, making an entirely new hissatsu technique that only she could control, Eternal Blizzard X. A powerful hissatsu technique that required incredible kick power and ball handling skills, it was what she became known for in the cold region of Hokkaido. Together, they froze over all of their opponents._

_However, she stopped using it in public after an opposing defender's ankle was badly sprained and their goalie's wrist was severely injured as well. For the people who truly did their best to stop it, it brought nothing but pain._ _Still, she never completely stopped using it, and secretly practiced it in the snowy fields of Hokkaido with Shirou. She believed that someday in the future there would come a time when she would be able to use it again._

* * *

"Hey, Shirou," Azumi's voice was quiet. The gray-haired boy looked up from sipping the hot chocolate she had given him. They were sitting on the couch together, waiting for the others to arrive for dinner.

"What?" he drank some more of the hot chocolate, smiling at the warmth that spread throughout his body. He could feel his toes and fingers again.

"I killed a bear today," Azumi casually mentioned as she sipped her own drink. Shirou nearly choked on the dark liquid, turning to look at Azumi with an incredulous look.

"You killed a bear while I was out?" he repeated in disbelief.

"Yep," Azumi smiled a little. "It attacked me, so I defended myself with the soccer ball I had. Honestly, it was good practice." Shirou stared at her before shaking his head with a chuckle.

"Soon enough they'll start calling you the Bear Killer too," he teased and Azumi rolled her eyes, although she was smiling as she did so.

"Yeah, right. But no one else will ever know. Don't tell the others, okay? I don't want everyone to know that I killed a bear," Azumi swallowed another sip of hot chocolate, feeling the warm liquid heat up her body. "They'll probably spread rumors around or something, and I definitely don't want things to get out of hand like with your nicknames. Don't they call you stuff like the Prince of the Snowfield?" Shirou opened his mouth to speak, but a loud cough interrupted him. The two of them swung their heads around to find the entire team and Coach Kudou staring at them. They had managed to enter through the front door quietly enough so that neither of them had noticed.

"Too late. We ended up hearing the entire thing by accident," Tsunami smirked. "Well, that would explain why there was a dead bear in the forest outside. Azumi the Bear Killer, eh? I should start calling you that more often." Azumi felt her face heat up in embarrassment.

"T-Tsunami! Don't call me that!" she cried.

"Oh, just you wait and see, Azumi. I'm going to call you that at least once a day from now on. The Bear Killer is a fine title for you," Tsunami grinned. He flinched a little as Azumi slammed her now empty cup of hot chocolate onto the side table by the couch.

"You do that, Tsunami, and you're not getting any dinner, not to mention dessert," Azumi threatened. Tsunami's eyes went wide.

"What? No, don't do that! Fine, I won't call you that after all!" Tsunami quickly nodded. The others behind him laughed and even Coach Kudou cracked a slight smile.

"Good. Everyone needs to wash their hands and sit at the dining table then. I'll lay everything out while you guys do that," Azumi hadn't even finished her sentence when Inazuma Japan dashed to the many restrooms to wash their hands. They were all terribly hungry after having to run for an entire hour. Laughing, Azumi went with Shirou and the managers to the kitchen where they helped her lay out the plates and food.

* * *

They all had renewed respect for Azumi and her cooking abilities. None of them could stop shoving her delicious food in their mouths. Azumi watched with a pleased expression as each of her teammates enjoyed themselves, talking to each other happily as they ate. Shirou, who sat beside her, had already finished the main course and was already eating dessert, which was blueberry pie. Everyone quieted down as Coach Kudou stood up and called for their individual attention.

"This is just a reminder, but don't forget to get up by nine in the morning tomorrow for practice. We'll be heading down to a nearby soccer field for practice," Kudou explained. "Make sure to get a good night's sleep to prepare yourselves too." _Nearby soccer field? Is he talking about that one soccer field? _Azumi turned to share a look with Shirou, who apparently had the same idea she had. They would just have to wait until tomorrow to see where they were going for practice.

* * *

"I knew it," Azumi felt nostalgia for her childhood days as she looked at the field ahead of them. It was the same soccer field she and Shirou had used when they were kids. After waking up and eating breakfast, Coach Kudou had led them directly to the field for practice.

"Knew what?" Tsunami asked in confusion. The rest of his teammates looked puzzled too.

"This is where Shirou and I made a lot of our hissatsu techniques," Azumi explained with a small smile. "We would practice a lot here too. When Coach Kudou mentioned a soccer field last night, I guessed that this was the place he was talking about."

"Now that you've mentioned it, I've never seen you use a hissatsu technique before. How come?" Tsunami asked yet another question, this one being a question Azumi didn't want to answer. Fortunately, she was saved from answering by Kurimatsu's own question.

"But Azumi... How the heck are we supposed to play on the field? I mean, just look at it," Kurimatsu's shrill voice piped up and some of the others had to agree. The soccer field was completely covered in a layer of slick ice with mounds of snow piling up around the sides. At first glance, anyone would think that it would be impossible to play on such a field, especially in the freezing cold too. But Azumi and Shirou knew better.

"Here, Shirou and I will show you that it's possible to play on it," Azumi stifled a sigh of relief as she turned to their coach. "Is that all right with you, Coach Kudou?" Kudou gave a nod of approval, and the rest of the team watched closely as Azumi and Shirou slowly took their places on opposite ends of the field.

"All right, let's go, Shirou!" Azumi took off like a rocket, kicking the ball along as she headed straight for him. The others watched in amazement as neither of them lost their balance as they ran at each other. Kidou was watching more intently than the others, dead set on learning how to play on such new territory. Azumi finally neared Shirou, and as he moved to steal the ball from her, did a feint and lunged to the right, managing to get past him. Kidou blinked. What were they doing with their feet as they moved?

"...That's it," Kidou's eyes widened. Everyone stopped watching to look at him. There was a hint of a pleased smile on their coach's face before it disappeared. "They're using the edges of their spikes to control how they move."

"I see!" Kurimatsu nodded before tilting his head. "Er, how exactly are they doing that?"

"Watch," Kidou instructed. All eyes were trained on the boy as he went on to demonstrate using a small ice covered patch by the sidelines. Coach Kudou just stared straight ahead at the ongoing match between Azumi and Shirou, who had not even noticed that their friends weren't watching them anymore. Kudou did not order them to stop and only continued to watch, waiting patiently for what he had been hoping to witness. Besides using the field as practice for the team, he had another motive for using it. He was well aware that it was the same field Azumi and Shirou had used when they were kids, and it was because of that reason that Kudou had chosen the area. _Now, let's see what your real abilities are... Azumi._

The two had already circled back and forth many times with Azumi always in possession of the ball. They stood at a standstill now, facing each other with grins on their faces. While playing off against each other in the last few minutes, both had felt as if they were children playing soccer again. The thrill and excitement they had both felt back then had suddenly revived within them, giving each a heightened sense of competitiveness and passion for soccer.

"Is that all you've got, Shirou?" Azumi smirked. She was trying to provoke Shirou for once, but all he did was smile back.

"You were always good at keeping the ball, Azumi," he remarked. "But I won't give up just yet!"

"That's more like it!" Azumi ran at Shirou again, dribbling the ball at a steady pace. Shirou jumped up, kicking the air three times with a determined expression, "_Snow Angel_!" Snow and flecks of ice spun in a flurry around him, ice erupting from the ground as it headed straight for Azumi. She only smiled, three pairs of long white wings suddenly growing from her back that fully extended as she flew up into the air and soared over Shirou's technique. "_Heavenly Flight_!" She landed on the other side of the surprised Shirou and quickly spun around, feeling her heart rate speed up as a rush of emotions overwhelmed her.

Playing on this field... She could almost hear Shirou and herself laughing while playing soccer as small kids. The times they had played soccer, the techniques that had been made here, not to mention the many memories created... All of her feelings for the soccer field poured into her as she prepared to use a certain hissatsu technique.

"It's coming," Kudou smiled for once, a glint of interest lighting his eyes as he focused on Azumi. His guess had been right. By playing on the same field from her childhood, Azumi's true strength and feelings for soccer had awakened from their long slumber. Kidou and the rest of Inazuma Japan let out surprised cries as the wind immediately picked up and the temperature went down.

"W-What's happening?" Kurimatsu squeaked as he hugged himself. He felt as if the temperature had gone down more than ten degrees. The boy finally noticed what was happening on the soccer field and let out a terrified yelp. "Guys, look!" The rest of the team quickly turned their attention back to the field.

Azumi spun the ball into the air, which was already covered by a glowing white aura as it rotated rapidly around. The wind blew violently around the ball, picking up ice and snow as Azumi jumped into the air. Inazuma Japan watched her blurred figure as she whirled around five times in the air. Her foot finally landed in the middle of the ball and she kicked it off, "_Eternal Blizzard X_!"

The powerful hissatsu flew towards the goal as wind and snow danced around it, blazing a tall trail of sharp ice behind it. Shirou was unable to do anything to stop the shot as it made it into the goal, freezing the entire thing in a split second. Azumi landed back on the ground, a slight smile on her face as she stared ahead at the soccer ball lying on the ice-covered field. Her coach smiled from the sidelines as the team instantly ran towards Azumi with amazed grins and questions. She blushed as they crowded around her, letting the girl know that they had seen the whole thing.

"Y-You guys were w-watching?" Azumi stammered. Nodding faces confirmed her fears and she groaned, trying to hide her red face by letting her long hair cover it. Shirou laughed and told her, "You couldn't hide it forever, Azumi. No amazing technique like _Eternal Blizzard X _could ever stay a secret for long." Kudou watched his students as they laughed, a smile still on his face. He had not been disappointed with the morning's results. As he had thought, Azumi was indeed a talented soccer player. However, there was so much more progress she could make to become even stronger.

"The entire world will soon know your name, Azumi," Kudou murmured to himself. "For that incredible strength will astound everyone."

Azumi smiled sheepishly at her friends before raising her head to look up at the sky. The clouds weren't covering the sun anymore. She hadn't meant to use any of her hissatsu techniques against Shirou, but she hadn't been able to stop herself. Maybe, somewhere in the depths of her heart, she had always wanted to be at her full strength once again, which was why she had used _Eternal Blizzard X _without thinking it through. She supposed it was all right in the end though. No one had gotten injured and she felt better than she had in ages. If soccer was a person who could feel things, then she guessed that it was happy her technique had gotten to see the open daylight again. Feeling a little silly for thinking like Endou, Azumi looked back around at her ring of friends with a smile.

The seal on her soccer had finally been lifted.


	6. The Perfect Combination

_**Author's Note:**__ It's almost Valentine's Day! I'm sorry for updating a little slower than usual, as I was a little busy with other matters. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed or read Eternal Snow so far! The last time I checked, this fanfiction had more than 200 views, which made me feel extremely happy. Oh, and I always forgot to mention this in updates prior to this one, but the italicized parts after the author's note and stuff at the beginning of each story are flashbacks (and sometimes thoughts) of Azumi and Fubuki's past, just in case anyone was confused on that. Enjoy reading and please consider submitting a review when you're done!_

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Inazuma Eleven. Only my OC, Azumi, and her hissatsu techniques that I have introduced into this fanfiction belong to me._

* * *

_She loved everything about soccer. The teamwork it involved, the dribbling, and most importantly, the shots at the goal. She could fill in for any of the roles in soccer, but what she really loved to be was a forward. Azumi loved the feel of the wind against her skin as she ran towards the goal, the way she would slip out of the enemy's reach, and finally, the moment when she would aim the ball and score a goal. She was a proud soccer freak, through and through._

_But as much as she loved playing the sport, people didn't like playing it with her. Without meaning to, she stole all the glory and made everyone around her feel bad about their own playing abilities. Slowly, one by one, the kids who played with her left to find new teammates._

_So she was left alone to play by herself. But in the beginning, soccer was never meant to be a sport played by a single person. After awhile, she stopped playing. Azumi would look at the soccer ball lying in the dark corner of her room with longing and sorrow. She would feel the temptation to pick it up and go outside to kick it around, but she would turn away and find something else to do._

_Azumi loved soccer, but the sport itself seemed to hate her._

_It all changed when she met Fubuki Shirou, a boy who shared much in common with her and was not jealous of her abilities. They became close friends and soccer buddies. With him by her side, she could freely play soccer with all of her heart. It was the same for him too. With Azumi by his side, Fubuki Shirou could forget about his deceased family and just play without a care in the world._

_They were the perfect combination._

* * *

"What?" Azumi blinked. She stared at Coach Kudou along with the rest of Inazuma Japan. "A practice match with Kidokawa Seishuu?"

"Yes, I requested a practice match with them and they accepted," Kudou repeated calmly. His gaze was unwavering as he scanned the faces of the kids in front of him. "I'm expecting all of you to train hard for the match and win it."

"But why Kidokawa Seishuu?" Kurimatsu's brow furrowed. Their team had played and beaten Kidokawa Seishuu in the semi-finals of the last Football Frontier. It was also the school that Gouenji had transferred from.

"Don't ask unnecessary questions," Kudou's dark eyes seemed to almost pierce through Kurimatsu's very being and he flinched, gulping. The violet-haired man then glanced down at his clipboard and lifted a page. "For practice, we'll be going with the lineup I have prepared. Defenders are Kabeyama Heigorou, Fubuki Shirou, Tsunami Jousuke, and Kogure Yuuya. Midfielders are Kazemaru Ichirouta, Fudou Akio, Kidou Yuuto, and Kiyama Hiroto. Endou Mamoru, goalkeeper and captain. Lastly, the forwards are Gouenji Shuuya and Izuna Azumi. Everyone else is on reserve."

Quiet murmuring broke out among the team as some members groaned while others cheered. Fudou was one of the few who did neither, simply shrugging with an impassive face. Gouenji and Azumi turned to share a look with each other.

"We'll be working together to score the goals, huh? Let's do our best, Gouenji," Azumi smiled. She was excited to play in her first match against another school since coming back to Japan.

"Yeah," Gouenji smiled back and raised his hand to high-five the girl. Shirou watched from a distance, a slight frown on his face as he stared at the two. For some strange reason, he felt something pull at his heart as he watched them talk and laugh. A lump formed in his throat, but he swallowed it down and quickly looked away from Gouenji and Azumi. Why did he feel this way? He should be happy that Azumi was enjoying herself and getting along with everyone. Instead, he couldn't help but feel a little bitter about being a defender while his girlfriend was a forward with Gouenji.

* * *

Practice had gone on for half an hour already. Everyone was already sweating like crazy from all the hard work they had put into their plays, but nevertheless, all of them were having a good time. Well, nearly everyone. Shirou's mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the lineup their coach had proposed before practice started. He was so deep in thought about the whole thing that he didn't even notice when Hiroto passed the ball to him.

"Fubuki, the ball!" Hiroto called out to him. Shirou snapped out of his daze and turned to receive the ball, but it was too late. The ball flew past and landed out of bounds, rolling across the dusty ground and coming to a halt by the bench. Shirou stared after the ball as Hiroto ran up to him.

"Nice try on getting the ball," the red-haired boy kindly told him. "You'll get it next time for sure though!"

"A-Ah, yeah..." Shirou turned his attention back to his teammate, faking a smile. "Come on, the others are waiting!" The two boys joined the others and took up their positions on the field again, but not without Azumi staring at her boyfriend with a worried expression. She could tell something was bothering Shirou. His so-called smile said it all, not to mention how he had missed receiving such an easy pass. She said nothing, however, and got back into position.

The soccer ball was thrown back in, and Gouenji quickly intercepted it, immediately making a beeline for the goalpost. He managed to get past both Kabeyama and Kogure before jumping up, a vortex of fire spinning around him as he finally gathered enough energy into one foot to kick the ball.

"_Fire Tornado_!" The ball was sent spinning towards the goal with a stream of fire following behind it. Azumi watched as the hissatsu technique continued on its path to the goal, her eyes tracking its progress. They widened when she saw Shirou standing directly in front of the goal with an absentminded expression, not paying any attention to the game.

"Shirou!" Azumi yelled and began to run. She put on a sudden burst of speed in her urgency to stop the incoming shoot and managed to get in front of Shirou in time. It was only when she kicked and made contact with _Fire Tornado _that Shirou finally returned to reality.

"Azumi?" Shirou uttered incredulously. The girl in front of him said nothing as her eyes darkened and she put more of her strength into her kick. The extra strength she put in was enough to kick the ball back and actually make it into the opposite goal, Tachimukai being totally unprepared for the unexpected shot. Azumi straightened up and turned to smile at Shirou.

"Are you okay, Shirou? You should have been paying more attention. I mean, you could have gotten hurt," Azumi's eyes flashed with worry. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, everything's fine," Shirou lied. He tried his best to keep a composed face as Azumi stared at him. The gray-haired boy did not want Azumi to know how he felt. After all, if he really thought about it, he was being a little ridiculous about the entire situation.

"...Okay. But remember, you can tell me if something's wrong," Azumi finally said. Hearing her team call for her, Azumi turned to join them as they complimented her shot. Shirou gazed after her, feeling a little relieved that she had believed him. But somewhere in his mind, a voice whispered to him.

_You won't be able to keep this up for long. Sooner or later, everyone is going to notice how off your behavior is. You're jealous, aren't you? Your girlfriend is a forward with Gouenji while you're stuck playing as a defender. You want to be with her as a forward too, but you can't,_ the voice spoke. Fubuki turned his back to Azumi and shook his head, a frown slowly growing on his face.

_No, that's not right. I'm fine being a defender._

_You're lying to yourself, _the voice responded. _What you want more than anything is to be a forward with her like in the past, but you're too wimpy to admit that out loud to her._

_Shut up._ Fubuki's lips were pressed together in a thin line. _It's nothing like that. _But as he turned to look at Azumi again, he wondered about that. Maybe... maybe he _was _lying to himself.

* * *

It was the day of the practice match against Kidokawa Seishuu. Raimon Junior High's team had gathered together for a last-minute huddle.

"All right, let's play some soccer, everyone!" Endou grinned.

"Yeah!" the rest of the team cried in unison. As they spilled onto the soccer field along with the opposing team's players, Azumi spared a glance at Shirou. Her boyfriend's back was to her, so she couldn't tell what he was feeling by his expression. He had been acting weird the past few days, but Azumi hoped that whatever was happening with him, he would be able to get over it. She settled into her position up front, turning to nod at Gouenji right before the whistle blew.

"And the game begins with Raimon's kick-off! Izuna passes to Gouenji who quickly dives into enemy territory! Now, Izuna Azumi is the newest member of the Raimon Soccer Club and her skills are currently unknown. What sort of plays will she show us in today's practice match?" the commentator, Kakuma Keita, boomed. His voice was temporarily drowned out by the loud cheers of the audience members watching from the stands. Gouenji was not able to get very far before he was blocked by two of the opponents. He jerked his head left and right, searching for someone to pass to. His eyes landed shortly on Azumi.

"Azumi!" Gouenji shouted. He kicked the ball in her direction, smiling in satisfaction when she caught the ball with her foot and ran further towards the goal. From Inazuma Japan's side of the field, Shirou intently watched the raspberry-haired girl run. He still hadn't come to term with his emotions about his role in the match. From deep within his heart burned an intense desire to play by Azumi's side. It was such an intense feeling that it hurt at times to watch Azumi and Gouenji work together. He wanted to be the one passing to her and making goals alongside her instead of Gouenji.

In the meantime, Azumi had gotten blocked by an entire group of defenders. They closed in on her, limiting the amount of space she had to move. If she wasn't careful, one of them would be able to steal the ball in a heartbeat.

"Not happening!" Azumi grinned as one of the defenders tried to do just that. She quickly kicked the ball into the air and jumped up to kick the ball backwards towards her fellow teammates. "Kidou!" The cape-wearing boy received the ball with his chest and ran a few yards before passing it to Gouenji. Before the defenders could block the boy, he jumped into the air and used his signature move, _Fire Tornado. _Unfortunately, the powerful hissatsu technique was caught by Nanzan, the opposing team's goalkeeper, and thrown to the three forwards of Kidokawa Seishuu.

"Shoot!" Gouenji growled. As a former member of Kidokawa Seishuu, he personally knew how strong the Mukata triplets were. He whipped back around and hurriedly took off for the other end of the field in an attempt to help stop the triplets from shooting. With accurate and rapid passes, the Mukata triplets were able to get through Raimon's midfielders. They even managed to evade Tsunami and Kabeyama before getting into formation for their combo hissatsu technique, kicking the ball to one another in fluid motions.

"_Triangle Z_!" the Mukata triplets balanced on one another, watching with smug expressions as the soccer ball flew towards the goal, sure that it was going to go in. Their confidence was heightened even further when even Fubuki Shirou failed to stop the ball. The gray-haired boy had not been paying attention again, and was too slow to stop the ball. Endou was able to catch the shot even without the help of Shirou though, much to the letdown of the enemy forwards.

The rest of the first half proceeded exactly like that. The Mukata triplets, when given the ball, always failed to get the ball in despite Shirou's half-hearted efforts, and Inazuma Japan's forwards, Azumi and Gouenji, were always blocked before they could even get close to the goal. When the whistle finally blew and signaled halftime, both teams were starting to feel a little exhausted.

"Good job, everyone!" Haruna smiled as she passed out drinks. She turned to give a water bottle to Azumi, but stopped when she saw the girl's face. With a rare expression of anger, Azumi stalked forward and planted herself in front of Shirou. The gray-haired boy looked up in surprise.

"Shirou, what's going on?" Azumi's voice was dangerously low. She had not failed to notice how her boyfriend had made many mistakes during the match. After awhile, it had become almost unbearable for her to watch Shirou play in such a feeble manner, and it had even distracted her a little towards the end of the first half.

"What are you talking about?" Shirou blinked. A reassuring smile started to creep onto his face. "If you were wondering, there's nothing wro-"

"Don't lie to me!" Azumi shouted. The volume of her voice had risen drastically. Not only had it silenced Shirou, but taken the others by surprise too. The rest of their team watched in shock as Azumi started trembling. Her hands clenched into fists at her side.

"I don't know what's going on with you, but you should see yourself play! What happened, Shirou? The Shirou I know would be putting 200% of his energy into the game, not messing around!" Azumi's eyes were dark and cloudy. "You're not even taking this seriously, are you? When you're on the field, all you think about is the game and nothing else!" Shirou's eyes were downcast, glancing anywhere but at the girl standing in front of him. He refused to look at her. If he did, he thought that he would break down and admit everything. A moment passed and then Azumi's gaze softened.

"Shirou, look at me. Please tell me what's wrong. I want to know what's going on so I can help you," the raspberry-haired girl lowered her voice to barely above a murmur. There was silence until Shirou finally looked up with a half-smile.

"I feel frustrated. Gouenji is a forward and so are you. Honestly, I... don't want to be a defender. What I really want to be is a forward who can play right by your side," Shirou confessed. He laughed a little. "It sounds pathetic, doesn't it? I got jealous over something so silly."

"Shirou..." Azumi faltered. She was staring at Shirou in shock. The two of them stood there for awhile, neither of them tearing their gaze away or moving an inch.

"Why didn't you tell me you felt that way?" Azumi's voice broke the silence.

"I thought I was being stupid," Shirou murmured. "I thought that I was fine being a defender. But I wasn't. I want to play as a forward with you like in the past. Azumi... I'm sorry for acting the way I have the past few days." He opened his mouth again to say more, but closed it as he felt a pair of arms wrap around him in a gentle hug.

"You really had me worried, Shirou," Azumi whispered and smiled faintly. "But thanks for telling me. I want you to play as a forward with me too." She let go of her boyfriend to turn to Kudou with a steady gaze. No words needed to be said for their coach to make a decision.

* * *

"All right, everyone! The second half is starting and the score is still 0 - 0. Neither team is giving way to the other. How will the rest of the match play out?" Kakuma paused in his commentary to read a slip of paper his assistant handed to him. "Oh, what's this? There's been a change in formation! Raimon Junior High is switching Fubuki Shirou from being a defender to a forward! Their team now has a 3-top formation like Kidokawa Seishuu! What could Coach Kudou be thinking?" The crowd of spectators buzzed with renewed excitement at the news. Something was going to happen in the second half, something big.

"Ready?" Azumi smiled as she dropped into a crouch. The two boys on either side of her nodded. The Mukata triplets glanced apprehensively at the opposing forwards and sneered at them before the whistle blew and started the kick-off for the second half. After the eldest Mukata brother passed to his sibling, there was a flash of black as the ball was suddenly stolen from their team.

"What?" the captain of Kidokawa Seishuu whirled around to see Azumi already deep inside of their end of the field. Seething with fury, Mukata Masaru barked, "Defenders, stop her!" The enemy defenders moved to do as they had been told, but their plans were foiled as Azumi smirked and suddenly made a back-pass to the person behind her, which was Gouenji. The boy was able to get past the surprised defenders and run towards the goal, a clear path to make a shot before him. But instead of shooting himself, he did something completely different.

"Fubuki!" Gouenji shouted. He smiled and passed the ball to the side to Shirou, who received it with a surprised expression.

"Gouenji..." he threw a glance over his shoulder at the figure of the boy behind him and smiled before looking forward again, breaking into a sprint. Azumi detached herself from the group of defenders still clustered around her and headed up towards the goal with Shirou. They turned to exchange a nod with each other as they approached the goal.

"Here we go!" Shirou kicked the ball into the air. As both he and Azumi started to spin in opposite directions, the sky above them broke into an array of vivid colors. After making a full spin, their feet came back around to hit the ball at the same time, and the ball was launched towards the goal in a spiral of fierce wind and bright lights as they cried, "_Aurora_ _Break_!" The opposing goalkeeper thrust his hands out to catch the shot, but being too powerful, the shot caused him to fly back and slam into his own goal with the soccer ball.

"Goal!" the commentator screamed. He jumped up and down with the audience in the stands, stamping his feet and waving his arms around as he cheered. "Raimon Junior High is now in the lead with a score of 1 - 0! Fubuki Shirou and Izuna Azumi have shown us a simply magnificent combo hissatsu technique!"

"We did it!" Azumi laughed. She and Shirou exchanged a high-five. As their arms came down to rest by their sides, Azumi smiled warmly at the gray-haired boy. "It feels like we're little kids again, doesn't it?"

"It does," Shirou agreed. The shame and embarrassment he had felt earlier had melted with the goal he and Azumi made together. He realized now how silly he had been for getting jealous over something so trivial. It had, however, once again made him realize something.

Turning to smile at Azumi, he told her, "I just want you to know how much I love you." With that, he kissed her before she had a chance to say anything in return.

In the past they were, and even now, the perfect combination.


	7. Special: Be My Valentine

_**Author's Note:**_ Finally, chapter seven! I'm very pleased to have made it this far in writing the fanfiction. I'm not sure yet how many more chapters I'll write, but I can definitely guarantee another two. I may end this fanfiction at chapter ten or eleven, but again, I'm not really sure.

Also, happy belated Valentine's Day! I'm sorry that I couldn't release this special chapter on Valentine's Day itself, but I was too busy to type it up. I realize I said that the story took place in around April, but let's just pretend that Valentine's Day happens in a month other than February, shall we? o u o Oh, and I included sneezing in this chapter. In case you did not know already, there is apparently Japanese superstition that when you sneeze, someone is talking about you.

At any rate, enjoy reading and please consider submitting a review when you're done!

_**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Inazuma Eleven. Only my OC, Azumi, and her hissatsu techniques that I have introduced into this fanfiction belong to me.

* * *

_Valentine's Day is a day of love. For some, however, it is nothing more than a day of pure torture._

* * *

"Oh, for the love of soccer," Kazemaru's eyes widened at the wave of girls running towards him and the rest of Inazuma Japan. He turned back to his friends, panic flashing in his eyes as he wildly gestured with a hand to the forest by the school. "We better make a run for it before things get messy!" There was no time to verbally agree or even give a simple nod as the female fans from their school started spewing screams of love. He and the team broke into a sprint, each of them desperately hoping they could outpace the girls behind them.

"It shouldn't be too hard to get away from a bunch of fans, right?" Toramaru grinned cheekily as he ran, already very sure they would be able to outdistance the crowd behind them. After all, they were trained soccer players who had been practicing and running for years. Unfortunately, they would have to learn their lesson the hard way.

You never underestimated hardcore fans.

They ended up running for the next half hour, never stopping for fear their followers would catch up to them. Despite their unwanted and annoying presences, Inazuma Japan had to give credit to the fans for having the determination and ability to chase them for so long. However, as the minutes ticked by, the members of the team began to curse their reputation, their fans, and more importantly, Valentine's Day.

The holiday of love had come to visit Inazuma Town and the rest of the world like it did every year. In previous years, the members of Inazuma Japan had accepted the holiday with indifference, seeing how it didn't affect them much in any way. With a few exceptions, most of the team had never been a very popular figure in their schools, thus they had never received Valentines from girls.

But ever since they had won the Football Frontier International, things had changed. For each of them, Valentine's Day had become the holiday they hated - and dreaded - the most. The team's first Valentine's Day after winning the FFI had been absolutely terrible. Girls had invaded their clubroom after school to bombard them with sappy love poems. Their lockers had even been shoved to the brim with messages and sweets (most of which were badly baked).

This year was no different. The entire female student body was after them, and like any sane person would do, the boys ran even as they felt their stamina begin to slowly drop. None of them wanted to get caught by the waiting devils at their backs. At one point in the chase, Tsunami suddenly realized something.

"Where are Azumi and Fubuki?"

* * *

The couple in question had broken away from the team before the chase had even begun. Valentine's Day, though torture for some, was a day of love and showing your feelings to others. It was also one of the most romantic holidays for couples to enjoy together.

Shirou suddenly sneezed. He glanced up and blinked, shielding his eyes from the golden rays of the sun. Azumi sat opposite from him at the table, looking amused. The two of them were at a cafe, Shirou being the one who had given the suggestion.

"Don't tell me you caught a cold when it's nearly summer vacation, Shirou," Azumi laughed. The gray-haired boy's eyes flickered back down to the girl.

"Maybe, maybe not," Shirou grinned sheepishly. He offered a menu to his girlfriend. "Are you still hungry? We should probably order something soon."

"Hmm..." Azumi took the menu from him and glanced through it, a thoughtful expression on her face as she looked at all the options. Something caught her eye, and with a short utter of surprise, she flipped the menu around so Shirou could see what her finger was pointing at. "Let's order this!"

* * *

Three minutes later, they were looking at a plate set on the table between them. On it were two pieces of white colored cake in the form of angels, complete with heart shaped wings and halos. The words, "Happy Valentine's Day", had been written in chocolate icing on the plate to the side.

"Wow, I'm surprised that they had something like this on the menu. But it's kind of perfect, don't you think?" Shirou looked up from the cake at Azumi, smiling at her. The angels distinctively reminded him of them both and the icing that covered them was such a brilliant white that it looked like snow.

"Yep!" Azumi smiled back and picked up her fork, spearing the cake with it. She held it out to Shirou, the forkful of cake hovering in the air. A blush covered her cheeks as she spoke her next words. "Here, open your mouth." Blushing a little himself, Shirou did what had been asked of him and closed his mouth once Azumi had fed him the dessert. She started to pull back so he could chew, but the boy hastily swallowed the cake whole and reached up, placing his hand over hers. With his free hand, he gently took the fork from her and set it down on the plate.

"Shirou..." Azumi trailed off, her purple-gray eyes glittering with a mix of emotions. An instant passed before she smiled, leaning in to share a kiss with Shirou. Her heart was pounding against her chest by the time their lips parted, and with pink cheeks, Azumi ducked her head out of embarrassment. She mumbled something about the taste of vanilla cake, earning a quiet chuckle from Shirou.

Somewhere in the far back of their minds, the two of them finally recalled what had been bothering them for awhile as they ate the rest of the dessert.

_How are those guys doing? _

* * *

'Those' guys were not doing well. In fact, they were doing rather horribly. Inazuma Japan still hadn't managed to shake off the girls chasing them, and by now, in terms of perseverance, they were nearing their breaking points. Having decided to take a short break in the woods, they collapsed onto logs and boulders, panting as quietly as they could so they wouldn't alert their followers. Thick trees and lush canopies hid the group of exhausted boys from nearby sight. No one spoke as they rested.

"This is ridiculous," Fudou finally said, breaking the silence between them. He stood up, sweat dripping down his neck and soaking the back of his shirt, but he didn't care. With narrowed eyes, he sharply waved a hand at the foliage behind him. "It's incredibly stupid that we have to run from girls, and I simply won't run from them anymore."

"What are you saying, Fudou?" Kidou stared at him. Standing up, the cape-wearing boy walked toward him until their faces were only inches apart. "We have no choice but to keep running. Think about it, would you? If we let ourselves get caught by them, there will be no end to the questions asked of us about who we like, what we like to eat, our favorite hobbies, things like that. They'll want information and even worse, pressure us to choose from them our Valentine for the holiday. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be forced into doing any of those things."

"So?" Fudou stared back at him, shrugging. "It doesn't sound that ba-" Startled, the brown and white-haired boy stopped speaking as Kidou gripped his shoulders tightly with his hands.

"You don't know what it's like. Trust me, it's bad," Kidou sounded unusually forceful for once. Blinking, he shook his head and released his hold on Fudou, taking a step back. "Anyways, my point is that we should continue running. If we can, I'd like to make it out of this forest and take shelter in a safe residence. In other words, stay in one of our houses and wait there until the girls either give up or the day ends."

"...Fine. Whatever," Fudou muttered. He looked away and folded his arms over his chest. "Also, is it just me, or do I hear the all too familiar sound of pounding footsteps?"

Not a second passed before the rest of the boys jumped up and began running again.

* * *

Kidou peeked out from behind the corner of a stone wall, his red eyes glancing left and right. Judging that it was safe, he beckoned for the others to follow him before quickly hurrying across the street and turning the corner. The group of boys were met by tall black gates and a stone wall that surrounded a large mansion. Ignoring the awed looks and whistles his friends gave, Kidou approached the gates without hesitation, punching in the correct code on a key card scanner. The gates silently swung open, and Kidou hastily shooed the team forward before entering the mansion grounds himself, the gates swinging shut behind him. Inazuma Japan huddled behind the wall, staring at Kidou as if he had just produced a rabbit out of nowhere.

"This is Azumi's house, isn't it? How did you know the password for opening the gates without the key?" Tsunami eyed Kidou suspiciously. The boy sighed, reaching up to adjust his goggles.

"I just knew you were going to ask that. This isn't really a good time to be asking questions, but I guess I'll clarify things since we don't have to run anymore. Yes, I knew the password for opening the gates, but only because Azumi herself told me, not to mention that she also gave me permission to come over to her house whenever I felt like it," Kidou explained.

He sighed again, this time in exasperation as the team continued to stare at him. "Look, nothing's going on between Azumi and I. And in case you had forgotten, she has a boyfriend whose name is Fubuki Shirou. Anyways, she and I had planned on holding a few strategy meetings so we could come up with new plans and hissatsu tactics together. When I took the time to think about it while we were running in the forest, I thought that it would be a good idea if we could hide here and lie low. Satisfied?" His friends nodded.

"Well, that's good and all, Kidou, but what the heck is that?" Tsunami jerked his head in the direction of a large cardboard box lying nearby. Without a word, Kidou and the others approached the object. The strategist immediately noticed an open letter lying on top of it. With a spark of curiosity, he picked the sheet of paper up. After seeing that it was addressed to them, Kidou began to read.

_"To Inazuma Japan,_

_Happy Valentine's Day! If you're reading this, neither Shirou and I are around to personally wish you a happy holiday, though I doubt that you've been having even a decent day until now. Shirou told me what happened to you guys on Valentine's Day last year, and I send you my deepest apologies with a laugh. So, to cheer you guys up a little, I prepared something for everyone. It's in the box the letter was lying on. I hope it will make you guys feel better! You can thank me later._

_Sincerely,_

_- Izuna Azumi" _

"How did she know we were going to be here?" Kabeyama asked with wide eyes.

"Never mind that, I just want to know what's in the box!" Tsunami grinned.

Kidou pocketed the note with a smile, his attention on the cardboard box and its contents now. Like Tsunami, he was interested to know what was in it.

"Hurry up and open the box already, Kidou!" Tsunami urged. "I'm itching to know what the box is hiding."

"I'm getting to it, jeez. Have a bit of patience," Kidou chuckled. He reached forward, pausing as everyone held their breath, then gently pried the top open.

"It's candy!" Kurimatsu exclaimed. He was right. The box was filled to the brim with an assortment of candy, most of it Valentine's Day themed. Bursting out in an overlapping chorus of words, the group of boys said their thanks as they took some candy to eat. After running as much as they had, each of them was starving, only just realizing how hungry they were at the sight of food. As they quickly depleted the top layer of candy, another sheet of paper was revealed to be inside the box.

"Another one?" Kidou mused about the message he held. With mouths full of candy, the members of Inazuma Japan listened as Kidou began to read out loud once more.

_"To Inazuma Japan,_

_Surprise! All of this candy is just for you guys. Some sugar is what you boys need to put some energy back into those tired bodies. Anyways, I have a second gift for all of you. I'm sure that those girls must be giving you a hard time, so to help with that, I have written some contact information at the end of this letter. The phone number and address I have listed below belong to a talented theatrical group who can help with your problems. Should the girls continue to bother everyone and you would like to get rid of them, just contact the group and they'll stop by in disguises, posing as the famous Inazuma Japan to lead them away. Have a great Valentine's Day!_

_Sincerely,_

_- Izuna Azumi" _

The entire team broke out in a clamor of grateful voices, each of them echoing their sincere thanks and relief for the help Azumi had offered. They could all finally kick back and relax knowing that there was a way to get their fans to leave them alone.

"I never knew that Azumi-san was so nice," Kabeyama sniffed, beginning to tear up. "I-I was really scared of all those girls... but now we have a way to get rid of them if they come back!"

Murmuring in agreement, the whole team, including Kidou, settled down onto the grass in a circle, eating and talking cheerfully as the day wore on.

It was the best Valentine's Day any of them had ever experienced.

* * *

This time it was Azumi who sneezed. Shirou glanced back at her with a playful smile.

"Are you sure it isn't you who has a cold?" Shirou teased. Azumi just shook her head, a half-smile spreading across her face.

"So where are we going?" she asked. They had finished eating at the cafe some time ago, but instead of heading home, Shirou had insisted on going somewhere else.

"It's a secret. You'll just have to wait until we get there, Azumi," Shirou answered, facing the front again with a smile. They walked a little farther before finally stopping by a remote patch in the middle of a park. "Close your eyes." Azumi raised an eyebrow in confusion, but obliged, waiting. She felt vibrations under her feet as Shirou moved around, then heard a rustling noise from somewhere to her right. There was a clicking sound before all was still.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now," came Shirou's voice. Her eyes slowly opening, Azumi found herself looking at a smiling Shirou. For a moment she was completely baffled, but then something caught her attention from above. She glanced up and found herself momentarily speechless.

Snow - or more specifically, artificial snow - fell from the sky. It was blown up into the air from a small black device on the ground, and the snow would gently fall back down to the earth, covering the ground around her in a circle of white. Shirou was proudly grinning from beside her.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Azumi. I hope I was able to surprise you well enough," Shirou held a hand out to her. "Will you give me the honor of a dance?"

"Oh, Shirou..." Azumi smiled warmly at him, reaching out to take his hand in hers. "I'd love to." They began to dance, slowly at first, then speeding up as they twirled around in a blur of movement. All the while the artificial snow continued to fall, piling up in a thin layer around them. After a few minutes, the two slowed down to the point where they were just swaying back and forth in a rhythmic motion.

"I knew you liked snow, so that's why I got the artificial kind for today. I wanted to replicate Hokkaido for you, even if it only felt just a little bit like it," Shirou murmured into Azumi's ear. She rested her head against him, leaning into him as they danced.

"Well, you did a pretty good job. I love it," Azumi whispered back, feeling her heart rate speed up a little. She lifted her head to look up at him with glowing eyes. "Thanks for making this a great Valentine's Day, Shirou." The next moment, they were locked in a passionate kiss.

Valentine's Day was truly a day of love.


End file.
